Gene therapies to regenerate the heart

Over 1 million people in the UK have heart failure, a condition where the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. It can be utterly debilitating, stopping people from carrying out everyday activities that many of us take for granted.

Heart failure is often caused by permanent damage to the heart following a heart attack. Heart attacks can cause the loss of up to one billion heart muscle cells. Adult hearts can’t regenerate tissue, so this damage is irreversible. If we could find a way to treat or prevent this damage, we could change the lives of those affected or even stop heart failure from occurring altogether.

Injectable therapies that could protect or regenerate heart muscle

With BHF and Medical Research Council (MRC) funding, Professor Giacca and his team are developing gene therapies to prevent, treat or even reverse the heart damage caused by a heart attack. These cutting-edge therapies will be designed to deliver genetic instructions to the heart muscle, leading to the production of molecules that can either protect the heart muscle from damage or stimulate the regeneration of new heart muscle cells. These innovations could transform outcomes for people who survive a heart attack but go on to develop heart failure.

“The funding we receive from BHF is instrumental to achieving our goals.”

Professor Mauro Giacca

A future where a heart attack doesn't carry the risk of heart failure is possible, thanks to research supported by BHF.