Scientists at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Australia have produced a first of its kind integrated map of heart cells which unlocks the process of cardiac fibrosis – a major cause of heart failure. The discovery opens new avenues to develop targeted drugs to prevent scarring damage caused after a heart attack. During and after a heart attack, the heart's muscles are damaged leading to the formation of scar tissue which lacks the elasticity and contractility of healthy heart muscle.
This damage is permanent and can affect the heart's ability to pump blood, eventually leading to heart failure. Professor Richard Harvey, who led the study alongside the Institute's Dr Ralph Patrick and Dr Vaibhao Janbandhu, says the discovery is a major step forward in understanding cardiac fibrosis – which accompanies virtually all forms of heart disease including the overloading of the heart due to high blood pressure. "Millions if not billions of dollars have been poured into seeking new drugs to control cardiac fibrosis over the years, but these efforts have largely failed.
There is an urgent need to develop novel treatments that could arrest or even reverse cardiac fibrosis, benefiting millions," says Professor Harvey. "Fibrosis is an essential part of the body's way of healing. But in the heart, if the disease triggers are not resolved, the process can go too far, causing scarring that is incredibly harmful to heart function and a major cause of heart failure.
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