{"id":286732,"date":"2022-02-27T09:27:55","date_gmt":"2022-02-27T09:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/gene-therapy-that-targets-heart-attack-damage-could-be-major-breakthrough\/"},"modified":"2022-02-27T09:27:55","modified_gmt":"2022-02-27T09:27:55","slug":"gene-therapy-that-targets-heart-attack-damage-could-be-major-breakthrough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/gene-therapy-that-targets-heart-attack-damage-could-be-major-breakthrough\/","title":{"rendered":"Gene therapy that targets heart attack damage could be major breakthrough"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Heart attack victims could be spared irreparable damage with pioneering gene therapy breakthrough<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"mol-bullets-with-font\">\n<li class=\"class\"><strong>Researcher identified genes which are &#8216;switched on&#8217; in cells after heart attacks<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"class\"><strong>This breakthrough may see gene therapy treat heart attack victims in future<\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\"class\"><strong>This could spare irreversible damage which may leaf to permanent heart failure\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"author-section byline-plain\">By Eleanor Hayward For The Daily Mail<\/a> <\/p>\n<p class=\"byline-section\"><span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-published\"> <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Published:<\/span>  19:00 EST, 20 February 2022  <\/span> | <span class=\"article-timestamp article-timestamp-updated\"> <span class=\"article-timestamp-label\">Updated:<\/span>  03:10 EST, 21 February 2022  <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p> <!-- ad: https:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v8\/us\/health\/none\/article\/other\/para_top.html --> <\/p>\n<p><!-- MOL-22124--><br \/>\n<!--[if !IE]&gt;&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<br \/>\n<!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt;&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt;&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<!--[if gte IE 8]&gt;&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<\/p>\n<p><!--[if IE 8]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if IE 9]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt; --><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<\/p>\n<p><!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>  (function (src, d, tag){<br \/>\n    var s = d.createElement(tag), prev = d.getElementsByTagName(tag)[0];<br \/>\n    s.src = src;<br \/>\n    prev.parentNode.insertBefore(s, prev);<br \/>\n    }(&#8220;https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/1.17.0\/async_bundle&#8211;.js&#8221;, document, &#8220;script&#8221;));<\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt; --><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211;<!--[if IE]&gt;--><\/p>\n<p>    DM.loadCSS(&#8220;https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/static\/gunther\/gunther-2159\/video_bundle&#8211;.css&#8221;);<\/p>\n<p><!--[if !IE]&gt; --><\/p>\n<p>&lt;!&#8211; <\/p>\n<p><!-- MOL-22124--><\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Heart attack victims could soon be treated with pioneering gene therapy to spare them irreversible damage \u2013 following a scientific breakthrough.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">British researchers have identified specific harmful genes that are &#8216;switched on&#8217; in cells following heart attacks \u2013 causing patients to develop permanent heart failure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">About 200,000 Britons are diagnosed with heart failure each year, in most cases following a heart attack.<\/p>\n<p>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-4b15d48a8172eaa8\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2022\/02\/20\/23\/54440125-0-image-a-67_1645400382188.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Dr Brittan said therapies could be injected soon after a heart attack to 'switch off' genes that lead to damage (stock photo used)\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-4b15d48a8172eaa8\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2022\/02\/20\/23\/54440125-0-image-a-67_1645400382188.jpg\" height=\"423\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Dr Brittan said therapies could be injected soon after a heart attack to 'switch off' genes that lead to damage (stock photo used)\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Dr Brittan said therapies could be injected soon after a heart attack to &#8216;switch off&#8217; genes that lead to damage (stock photo used)<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">There is no cure for the debilitating and life-shortening condition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">But world-leading research by a team at the University of Edinburgh has uncovered crucial genetic changes linked to damage following a heart attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">This has paved the way for cutting-edge treatment options that have the potential to stop millions developing incurable heart failure in the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Scientists analysed samples of tissue from the old hearts of patients who had recently had a heart attack and received a transplant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">They compared this with healthy heart tissue \u2013 so they could &#8216;pinpoint&#8217; the exact genes expressed in damaged blood vessels and heart cells.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Experts are now working to develop gene therapies, which could be injected after a heart attack to prevent genetic changes causing long-term cell damage.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"rotator-panels link-bogr1 linkro-ccox\">\n<li>   <span>Want to keep your memories in old age? Exercise three times&#8230;<\/span> <\/a>   <span>Organ transplant breakthrough sees scientists successfully&#8230;<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Dr Mairi Brittan, who is leading the research, told the Daily Mail it was a &#8216;huge breakthrough&#8217;, adding: &#8216;We can essentially map the gene expression of a human patient&#8217;s heart attack, which has never been possible before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;When a patient has a heart attack, millions of cells immediately die. Afterwards the cells continue to die, the damage can spread and that&#8217;s what causes heart failure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;We want to find treatments that can be given to patients at an early stage to prevent heart failure occurring.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;We&#8217;re studying patients who have recently had a heart attack and looking at the genes that are switched on, and therefore may be good targets for gene therapies.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Gene therapy involves altering the genes inside the body&#8217;s cells \u2013 for example by infecting them with a harmless virus that has been genetically engineered to replace or de-activate a defective gene.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Dr Brittan said therapies could be injected soon after a heart attack to &#8216;switch off&#8217; genes that lead to damage.<\/p>\n<p>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-617d0c0e8d4b79cb\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2022\/02\/20\/23\/54440271-0-image-a-68_1645400587371.jpg\" height=\"634\" width=\"634\" alt=\"World-leading research by a team at the University of Edinburgh has uncovered crucial genetic changes linked to damage following a heart attack (stock image used)\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-617d0c0e8d4b79cb\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2022\/02\/20\/23\/54440271-0-image-a-68_1645400587371.jpg\" height=\"634\" width=\"634\" alt=\"World-leading research by a team at the University of Edinburgh has uncovered crucial genetic changes linked to damage following a heart attack (stock image used)\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" \/>   <\/p>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">World-leading research by a team at the University of Edinburgh has uncovered crucial genetic changes linked to damage following a heart attack (stock image used)<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">They could also stimulate genes that help cells in the blood vessels and heart to repair themselves after a heart attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">She added: &#8216;Several other species, like the zebrafish, can repair their own heart muscle, and we want to replicate this in humans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;We want to target genes and promote more successful repair that would, in turn, salvage the damaged areas of heart muscle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;We would want to look at [a gene therapy] that would travel to the blood vessels and the heart. So if you introduce it, it would promote the blood vessel growth and regeneration.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Nearly one million people in the UK live with heart failure, and about 100,000 people are admitted to hospital with a heart attack each year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Dr Brittan&#8217;s research is funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which is aiming to raise \u00a33 million for studies into regenerative medicine as Charity of the Year for the 2022 TCS London Marathon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Professor Metin Avkiran, associate medical director at the BHF said: &#8216;This project, and seven others, will push the boundaries of what science can achieve so that almost one million people will not have to suffer the effects of this debilitating condition.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">&#8216;Such innovative research could lead to a big advance in how we treat heart failure.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>            <!-- ad: https:\/\/mads.dailymail.co.uk\/v8\/us\/health\/none\/article\/other\/inread_player.html --><\/p>\n<p>      <\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Comments <span class=\"readerCommentsCount\">156<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\n\t    Share what you think\n          <\/p>\n<ul id=\"rc-tabs\" class=\"js-links dm-tabs cnr5 cleared\">\n<li class=\"dm-tab dm-tab-on bdrgr5 cnr-bdr wogr5 link-wox js-active\">\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tl\"><\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tr\"><\/span><br \/>\n        Newest<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n<li class=\"dm-tab bdrgr5 ow-igr2-bx cnr-bdr xogr2 link-gr5ox\">\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tl\"><\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tr\"><\/span><br \/>\n        Oldest<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n<li class=\"dm-tab bdrgr5 ow-igr2-bx cnr-bdr xogr2 link-gr5ox\">\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tl\"><\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tr\"><\/span><br \/>\n        Best rated<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n<li class=\"dm-tab bdrgr5 ow-igr2-bx cnr-bdr xogr2 link-gr5ox last\">\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tl\"><\/span><br \/>\n        <span class=\"xogr5 tr\"><\/span><br \/>\n        Worst rated<\/a>\n      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The comments below have not been moderated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"bold pad5 wogr5 rc-info\">\n      The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.\n    <\/p>\n<p>  <\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"rc-title bdrgr2\">We are no longer accepting comments on this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Heart attack victims could be spared irreparable damage with pioneering gene therapy breakthrough Researcher identified genes which are &#8216;switched on&#8217; in cells after heart attacks This breakthrough may see gene therapy treat heart attack victims in future This could spare irreversible damage which may leaf to permanent heart failure\u00a0 By Eleanor Hayward For The Daily <a class=\"read-more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/gene-therapy-that-targets-heart-attack-damage-could-be-major-breakthrough\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-286732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286732"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286732\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}