Imagine a World Where Your Heart Could Heal Itself After a Devastating Attack – Groundbreaking Gene Discovery Makes It Possible!
- Press Release
First-of-its-kind breakthrough by Hina Chaudhry, MD at Mount Sinai paves the way for innovative, minimally invasive therapies
- New York, NY
- (November 03, 2025)
Picture this: a gene present in humans that naturally switches off after we're born, yet when reactivated, it has the remarkable ability to produce fresh, operational heart cells. This enables the heart to mend itself from traumas like heart attacks or failures. These exciting findings stem from a Mount Sinai research project released on November 3 in Nature Portfolio Journals Regenerative Medicine. This pioneering revelation, unveiled by Hina Chaudhry, MD, who heads Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, along with her colleagues, opens doors to cutting-edge methods for restoring harmed hearts. Think of it as a viable substitute to traditional options such as heart transplants or surgical implants for cardiac devices.
This innovative research extends Dr. Chaudhry's influential 2014 publication in Science Translational Medicine (accessible at https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/scitranslmed.3007668), where her group was the initial team globally to rejuvenate the heart of a sizable mammal (specifically, a pig) post-heart attack by reigniting the CCNA2 gene. These porcine hearts bear striking similarities to human hearts, proving the technique's effectiveness in a model that mirrors real clinical scenarios. Now, this fresh investigation acts as a crucial link, confirming that a virus compatible with humans can securely and efficiently prompt cell reproduction in mature human heart tissues.
“Cardiovascular diseases claim the top spot as the primary killer around the globe, but the muscle cells in an adult human heart cease multiplying once a person is born,” explained Dr. Chaudhry. “Our earlier efforts marked the beginning by showing how to revive a pig's heart following damage, and today, we've propelled the science forward by proving that even heart cells from middle-aged adults—previously thought to be forever stuck in stagnation—can be persuaded to create new, effective cells. This fundamentally changes our approach from merely treating symptoms to genuinely rebuilding the human heart.”
When a person suffers a heart attack or develops heart failure, critical heart muscle cells die off, and the organ lacks the capacity to replenish them. Currently, there's no established technique to cultivate fresh heart muscle cells once injury occurs. Dr. Chaudhry's team aimed to explore whether they could unlock the heart's innate self-healing by tapping into an inherent process that allows heart muscle (cardiomyocyte) cells to divide during fetal development. They zeroed in on CCNA2—a gene typically dormant post-birth—and reanimated it in grown individuals to test if it could foster new heart cells and aid recovery.
The scientists developed a safe, replication-impaired virus tailored for humans, loaded with the CCNA2 gene, and introduced it into heart muscle cells. They conducted experiments on live adult human heart cells cultured from healthy donor hearts. Utilizing live-imaging techniques, they observed the CCNA2-treated cells dividing properly while maintaining their standard form and performance.
Delving deeper, the team examined three healthy hearts donated by individuals aged 21, 41, and 55. The CCNA2 treatment stimulated cell division in the samples from the 41- and 55-year-old donors. In contrast, cells from the 21-year-old donor remained unaltered by the therapy. This outcome aligns with prior research indicating that younger hearts retain some natural renewal ability, allowing their cells to multiply independently without needing the CCNA2 boost.
Significantly, the new cells generated through division kept their essential structural components and typical calcium handling, proving they function normally. Further examination revealed that CCNA2 briefly "rewinds" heart cells by reviving specific growth-related genes, enabling them to multiply and heal the organ. Importantly, this doesn't render the cells underdeveloped or lead to the dangerous heart wall thickening associated with certain conditions.
But here's where it gets controversial... Is turning back the cellular clock a safe gamble? While this study shows no immediate risks like tissue overgrowth or loss of maturity, some experts might worry about long-term effects, such as potential links to cancer if gene reactivation goes awry in other contexts. And this is the part most people miss: Could this therapy one day be accessible without invasive procedures, perhaps through a simple injection? The possibilities are thrilling, yet they raise ethical questions about aging and regeneration—should we prioritize fixing hearts over accepting natural decline?
“This represents the peak of almost 20 years of dedication,” Dr. Chaudhry remarked. “We were the trailblazers in the idea that hearts could regenerate by awakening slumbering division genes, and now we've brought that dream tantalizingly close to reality for patients. Our aim is to create a treatment that empowers the heart to self-repair after a heart attack or during failure, minimizing reliance on transplants or mechanical aids.”
What's next? The team plans to pursue FDA endorsement to launch human trials for CCNA2 treatment in those battling heart conditions.
Funding for this research came from the National Institutes of Health and the New York Stem Cell Foundation Board.
For inquiries about this innovation, such as licensing opportunities, collaborative research, or development partnerships, reach out to Mount Sinai Innovation Partners via email at MSIPInfo@mssm.edu.
Mount Sinai Leads the Way in Heart Care and Surgery
The Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital within The Mount Sinai Hospital holds the No. 2 position nationally for cardiology, heart, and vascular surgery, as per U.S. News & World Report®. It also claims the top spot in New York and ranks 6th worldwide according to Newsweek's “The World's Best Specialized Hospitals.”
This institution is integrated into the Mount Sinai Health System, New York's foremost academic medical network, comprising seven hospitals, a premier medical school, and an extensive array of outpatient facilities across the greater New York area. We drive advancements in healthcare through exceptional education, pioneering translational research, and groundbreaking discoveries, ensuring the delivery of the safest, most superior, accessible, equitable, and cost-effective care in the nation. The system boasts around 9,000 primary and specialist physicians, 10 independent joint-venture clinics in New York City's five boroughs, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida, plus 48 interdisciplinary centers for research, teaching, and clinical work. Our hospitals consistently earn accolades in Newsweek's “The World's Best Smart Hospitals” and U.S. News & World Report's “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital graces the U.S. News & World Report's “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2025-2026.
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What do you think? Could manipulating genes to rejuvenate organs revolutionize medicine, or does it cross a line into playing God? Do you believe this could eliminate the need for heart transplants, or are there hidden risks we haven't considered yet? Share your thoughts in the comments—do you agree with pursuing this path, or disagree? Let's discuss!
