Targeting calcium channels to stimulate cardiac regeneration
Inhibiting the L-type calcium channel stimulates cardiomyocyte proliferation by altering calcineurin activity, offering a potential heart regeneration strategy.
A collaborative study including researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine (TX, USA) and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (Brisbane, Australia) has revealed that modulating calcium influx into cardiomyocytes can stimulate their proliferation. By targeting the L-type calcium channel (LTCC), the team identified a potential strategy to promote heart regeneration, offering new hope for treating ischemic heart failure.
During fetal development, heart muscle cells, known as cardiomyocytes, actively proliferate to support organ growth. However, as they mature, these cells lose this ability, limiting the heart’s ability to regenerate and repair damage caused by conditions such as ischemic heart failure. Understanding what triggers this loss of proliferative ability is essential for finding ways to restart it.
Since calcium plays a key role in regulating cardiomyocyte function, the research team explored how calcium signaling influences the proliferation of cardiomyocytes. They focused on the L-type calcium channel (LTCC), a protein that regulates calcium influx.
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The researchers found that when LTCC was inhibited, either pharmacologically or genetically, cardiomyocytes exhibited increased expression of genes linked to cell proliferation. It was demonstrated that LTCC inhibition affected the activity of calcineurin, a calcium-dependent enzyme that regulates the cell cycle. This effect was observed in both human cardiac tissue samples grown in the lab and live animal models.
The study’s results indicate that targeting LTCC could be a promising strategy for inducing heart muscle cell regeneration. Additionally, the researchers noted that existing medications, such as Nifedipine, which regulates calcium entry, might be repurposed for heart failure treatment based on these findings.
The work represents a significant step toward potential clinical applications, with researchers optimistic about future human trials aimed at cardiac regeneration.
