Protein therapy could improve heart attack outcomes, according to a preclinical Australian study.
Following a heart attack, scar tissue forms, hampering heart function. Researchers from the University of Sydney found that infusing recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-AB (rhPDGF-AB) into large animals who have experienced a heart attack improved the quality of the scar. The infusion also led to new blood vessel formation and reduced dangerous heart rhythm irregularities that can cause sudden death.
“[W]e found that rhPDGF-AB led to increased scar collagen fibre alignment and strength. This improved heart function after the heart attack,” explained study lead James Chong, Ph.D., from The University of Sydney. The treatment also improved survival, he reported.
Current clinical treatments aim to restore blood and oxygen supply to the heart to prevent scarring. But results are limited, the authors reported. Up to a quarter of patients experiencing a first heart attack will develop heart failure within one year.
“While we have treatment protocols in place, it’s clear that there is an urgent, unmet need for additional treatments to improve patient outcomes, particularly after large heart attacks,” Chong concluded.
