Thymosin Beta 4 May Help Heal a "Broken Heart"

Studies show that a natural protein called thymosin ß4 (Tß4) can activate stem cells in mouse hearts to replace damaged tissue with new muscle cells. Damage to the heart muscle cells called cardiomyocytes, are usually irreparable. Scientists from University College London Institute of Child Health knew that stem cells expressing the gene Wt1 could become cardiomyocytes. So they injected mice with the protein tß4 every day for a week. They also stitched one of the animal’s arteries together, to mimic a heart attack. The mice do survive, so that it is possible to study the effect the protein has on the gene expression.

Just two days after the operation, the cells expressing the gene Wt1 where on the outer layer of the heart. By two weeks the cells moved inside of the heart, around the injury, and looked just like cardiomyocytes. The scientists believe the protein may have a chemical effect on the stem cell’s DNA that effect the gene expression. The protein in a sense “wakes up” the gene WT1 in stem cells.

Studies on thymosin ß4 injections on humans have already passed safety trials. I think this is excellent find; it will surely help us treat people who are prone to heart disease or are currently having heart problems. Further studies and clinical trials will truly show if this is an effective way to treat heart disease.

Human Cells Fuse With Rat Cells?

Published by FASEB on March 1st 2011, scientists have done a new experiment that takes human stem cells form subcutaneous adipose tissue; which is fat, and then they fuse it with muscle cells from a rat's heart. Once they fused the two they discovered that there were new heart muscle cells and it had several nuclei. After being kept in a culture environment the newly formed heart muscle cells were beating! So now, this experiment demonstrates that the rat cells and the human stem cells were communicating in the same genetic language.

Contrary to previous beliefs, this experiment proves that you do not have to genetically modify embryonic genes in adult stem cells to turn them into heart cells. Plus, this new finding could be used for improving the heart, bones, tendons, non-healing wounds, and joints. And said by Gerald Weissmean, M.D. "Much work is still ahead before this method can be applied to humans, but the hope is that this technique might eventually make heart transplants unnecessary".

I think this experiment is really exciting and i can't believe it actually worked. I never thought you could fuse two completely different species cells' together and that they could work correctly. If they successfully can do this in humans than this technique will get rid of the use of transplants and it will save many people's lives.