Learning about cell growth in the developing and adult heart

Signalling pathways in cardiogenesis

Scientists understand that a complex network of molecules keep the heart and circulatory system functioning normally. Often it is damage to these networks that causes disease. Clues to how they work come from studying development in the embryo, where an inherited genetic defect can cause an observable heart or vessel abnormality (congenital heart disease). BHF Professor Shoumo Bhattacharya has helped show that one important molecule, called BMP, acts as a signal that promotes the correct coordinated growth of heart cells in the developing embryo. BMP has a key role in controlling the delicate balance of cell growth in the adult heart, and works by preventing too many cells growing abnormally. These discoveries show how an imbalance in BMP can cause heart muscle to thicken and make the heart weaker in conditions such as heart failure. Professor Bhattacharya’s team has been awarded over £1 million to further investigate the behaviour of BMP. To understand how the beneficial effects of BMP can be harnessed, they will look at three genes (called PCSK5, TLL1 and GPC5) that control its activity. In mice, they will look at what happens to BMP activity when there is a defect in these genes. The findings could reveal how BMP levels can be maximised in the adult heart to ensure the correct growth of new cells, when the heart is injured. This knowledge could lead to new treatments for diseases that occur as a result of cell overgrowth and abnormal thickening in the heart and blood vessels, such as heart failure or pulmonary hypertension.