Healing a "Broken" Heart

Irreparable Harm

The majority of those reading this have probably experienced some sort of injury in their lifetime.  Injuries such as cuts and broken bones will soon heal with proper care, but there are certain tissues that if damaged, cannot repair themselves. Heart tissue and brain tissue are two examples that come to mind. This may be the case for most of us adult humans, but new research out of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas is pointing out that some newborn mammals have the ability to heal completely when it comes to heart damage. The only problem is, at some point along the line, as we age, the heart loses this ability to heal itself. Still, this is a very important discovery for a society that suffers greatly from heart disease, which kills thousands of Americans every year.

Studying a Broken Heart

Researchers found that in newborn mice, when sections of heart were removed, the heart had completely healed within three weeks. The hearts then functioned as normal with no signs of damage. Understanding how this works and why the heart stops doing it after a certain amount of time is now the next step for researchers. Unlike when you tear a hamstring, damage to cardiac tissue after a heart attack doesn’t just heal with time. So for those who suffer from heart problems, a discovery like this brings them one step closer to a healthy heart in the future.

Of Mice & Men

Obviously mice, which help us a lot more than most people realize, and humans are a little different from each other, but seeing results like this in another mammal is still promising. If nothing else, it is definitely a huge step in the right direction for researchers looking to cut down on the number of heart related deaths. For now though, it is important for people to remember that they only have one heart, and taking care of it should be a priority.

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