Size of Myocardial Infarction may be Reduced by a Novel Treatment Approach

A novel treatment for myocardial infarction has been developed by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF).

In a study carried out at the UEF, virus vectors were used in a mouse model to deliver small RNA molecules into the heart, and this significantly reduced the size of myocardial infarction. In the novel treatment method, RNA molecules are targeted at the regulatory area of the vascular endothelial growth factor gene (VEGF-A). These molecules use epigenetic mechanisms to enhance the production of the growth factor in cells.

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Heart attack is the death of the heart muscle due to loss of blood supply. Simple guidelines to avoid heart attack are listed.

The study also focused on the mechanisms of this new treatment, epigenetherapy, in cell models. The study was carried out in collaboration between researchers of the MRI Research Group at the A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences at the UEF, the University of Jyväskylä, and Temple University in Philadelphia. The study was published in PLOS ONE on 26 February.

Source-Eurekalert

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