Adult heart cell image wins BHF award
15 November 2006
A striking image of a heart wrapped in a layer of regenerating cells has won the runner-up prize in the British Heart Foundation science image competition, Reflections of Research.
BHF funded scientists from across the UK submitted fascinating and beautiful images that captured heart research.
The image is from a study jointly funded by the Medical Research Council and the British Heart Foundation led by Dr Paul Riley of the Institute of Child Health. It was published in Nature in November 2006. The research revealed how thymosin ß4, a protein already known for its ability to reduce muscle cell loss after heart attack, can instruct the heart to heal itself by guiding cells from the outermost layer of the heart to move deeper inside and help to repair tissue.
The potential repair cells are known as progenitors. They are similar to stem cells, in that they are not yet specialised into any one cell type rather, they are blank cells that can change into different cell types depending on the signals they receive in the body.
‘Cells to mend a broken heart’
Fluorescent image of a section through an adult mouse heart, the muscle cells of the heart are shown in red. The outer layer of progenitor cells and the blood vessels which nourish the muscle tissue are highlighted in green.
Dr Riley said:
“In 2006, through BHF and MRC funded work, we discovered that a protein called Thymosin beta4 could mobilise dormant cells from the epicardium, the outer layer of the heart, to form new blood vessels. This is a major step towards finding a DIY repair mechanism to repair injury following heart attack.”
Previously it was thought that cells within the adult heart are in a state of permanent rest and that any progenitor cells that can contribute to heart tissue repair travel into the heart from the bone marrow. This research demonstrates that beneficial cells actually reside in the heart itself.
The Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council, Professor Colin Blakemore commented:
‘‘Finding out how this protein helps to heal the heart offers enormous potential in fighting heart disease, which kills more than 105,000 people in the UK every year. This is an excellent example of the way in which first-class research, at the most basic molecular level, can produce opportunities for translation into innovative new treatments that should help patients and improve their lives.”
Peter Hollins, Chief Executive of the BHF and a member of the judging panel said:
“From congenital heart disease to cardiac arrest, the images reflected the hard work, commitment and pride that doctors and scientists supported by the charity apply to their research.”
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