If your heart could choose, it would probably stay twenty forever: but the reality is that, like everything else in our body, it also ages. Or at least, that's what we thought until now. Because now a team of scientists has developed a biomaterial that can slow down and even reverse cardiac aging. I'm not kidding. The research, published in Nature Materials, opens up scenarios that until yesterday seemed impossible for heart health. But how did they get there?
The Hidden Key to Heart Health
The team from the National University of Singapore focused on something that most of us are completely unaware of: the extracellular matrix. Jennifer Young, senior author of the study, explains that while most research on aging focuses on how cells change over time, their study instead looks at the extracellular matrix and how changes in this environment influence the aging of the heart.
This extracellular matrix is like the scaffolding that supports heart cells. As we age, it becomes stiffer and less efficient, much like when the foundation of a house begins to buckle. The result? The heart has a harder time pumping blood, and our heart health suffers. But here's the twist: Researchers have discovered that it's not the stiffness that's the main problem, but the biochemical signals this matrix sends to cells.
DECIPHER: The Code Name for Heart Health
Researchers have developed a hi-tech model called DECIPHER (DECellularized In Situ Polyacrylamide Hydrogel-ECM hybrid). This hybrid biomaterial allows for separate control of two crucial aspects: the stiffness of the tissue and the biochemical signals that the cells receive. It's like having two different knobs to adjust the environment in which the heart cells live.
The experiment revealed something surprising. When they placed “young” heart cells on a rigid matrix (typical of older hearts) but with young biochemical signals, the cells retained their youthful characteristics. In contrast, young cells on a matrix with “aged” signals showed signs of dysfunction. The conclusion? The biochemical environment around aging heart cells matters more than stiffness.
Young signals
Come I was already pointing it out here, cardiac regeneration research is making great strides. But this discovery adds a crucial piece to the puzzle. Nishant Kalra, cardiologist, comments:
“Surface molecules present in young heart tissue can prevent the activation of cells that promote fibrosis, even when the tissue is as stiff as that of the aged heart.”
La fibrosis It is essentially the formation of scar tissue that stiffens the heart. It is a normal repair process, but when it goes out of control it becomes a problem for the health of the heart. The fact that “young” signals can block this process even in already aged tissue opens up incredible prospects.
The Future of Heart Health
Of course, we are still far from clinical application. As Kalra himself points out,
“This work provides a platform to identify molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets to prevent or reverse age-related cardiac dysfunction. Although promising, human translation requires further validation, as the study used mouse cells.”
But in the meantime, to protect heart health today, we can count on already consolidated strategies: at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, limiting saturated fats and sodium. And above all, quitting smoking and managing stress.
This research reminds us that the aging heart is not an inevitable sentence. One day we will actually have the switch to keep it young.
