Michael Mengel, a pathology researcher with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, has found a new way to analyze biopsies from heart transplant patients by looking at their genes. This allows him to make an early prediction whether the transplant is …
Researchers have found that the secret to mending a broken heart — at least at the molecular level — resides within the two-chambered heart of a fish commonly found in household aquariums. The scientists showed that the zebrafish can regenerate its heart after injury, and their studies suggest that understanding cardiac regeneration in this fish may lead to specific strategies to repair damaged human hearts.
A rapid and inexpensive blood test that measures levels of a hormone predicted the long-term health of patients with heart attack and chest pain, according to a study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. This hormone ? B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) ? is elevated when the heart is damaged. A fragment of this hormone called the N-terminal fragment (N-BNP), can provide a clearer picture of a patient’s likelihood of survival, more so than with current prognostic methods.