Health

Healing a broken heart: Arizona researcher has breakthrough with heart muscle regeneration

Erik Blackwood, PhD, then a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Arizona’s Sarver Heart Center, is studying ways reduce heart-attack-associated injury and heart-muscle damage in this 2022 photo. The Sarver Heart Center’s director, Hesham Sadek, MD, PhD, recently co-led a study that found patients with artificial hearts can re-grow heart muscle cells more than six times faster than a healthy heart. (Courtesy University of Arizona)

A heart can never rest.

That creates a problem for a heart that has lost muscle tissue.

“Skeletal muscle has a significant ability to regenerate after injury. If you’re playing soccer and you tear a muscle, you need to rest it, and it heals,” stated University of Arizona researcher Dr. Hesham Sadek, in a university news release. “When a heart muscle is injured, it doesn’t grow back. We have nothing to reverse heart muscle loss.”

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers starting at $5 for your first month and support local, unbiased journalism.

Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

The latest edition of the Phoenix Independent

View this issue

Browse other issues

Latest Opinions

U.S. vs. Mexico: ‘War’ that ends at final whistle in Glendale

OPINION — On Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m., the United States’ men’s soccer team will play Mexico at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. On paper, it is a friendly. Nobody in my family …

Trump, GOP don’t embody the Cowboy Code

OPINION — I used to be a Republican. I voted for Ronald Reagan. To me, Reagan embodied the Cowboy Code of actor singer Gene Autry. The code included that the cowboy must never shoot …

Goodyear is building; D.C. keeps getting in the way

OPINION — Goodyear is one of the fastest-growing cities in America. Every month we approve homes, break ground on employment sites and work to keep power and water ahead of demand.

Will the real Republicans please step forward?

OPINION — I have a question for Paul Cahill, who wondered in a recent letter to the editor where America’s real Democrats are. ... I’ll ask: Will the real Republicans please step …

America's Charters of Freedom give Arizonans the power to bargain

OPINION — I’m replying to Annarose Lilly’s labor bargaining comments. America's Charters of Freedom already give Arizonans the power to bargain, so why would they pay a third …

Most recent

Saints placing running back Travis Etienne Jr. on injured reserve

New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore says running back Travis Etienne Jr. is being placed on injured reserve. The move means Etienne will miss a minimum of four games. His earliest possible return …

What to know about Christa Pike, who survived a lethal injection execution attempt in Tennessee

G20 trade talks yield little progress while tensions simmer

Women's basketball player from Senegal has deportation order rescinded after arrest by ICE

Carly Rae Jepsen bringing 2027 tour to Phoenix

USC star guard JuJu Watkins named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year