EAST LANSING, Mich. A chemical released during sex could become a new treatment for heart attack patients, new research reveals. Oxytocin, called the love hormone, helps heal the organ by boosting production of stem cells, researchers at Michigan State University say.

The findings are based on human tissue grown in the lab and experiments on zebrafish, which have a remarkable ability to repair themselves.

Here we show that oxytocin, a neuropeptide also known as the love hormone, is capable of activating heart repair mechanisms in injured hearts in zebrafish and human cell cultures, opening the door to potential new therapies for heart regeneration in humans, says senior author Dr. Aitor Aguirre, an assistant professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering of Michigan State University, in a media release.

Oxytocin stimulates erections and orgasms. In women, it is believed to help sperm reach the egg. The chemical is produced by the hypothalamus in the brain. It is secreted by the pituitary gland.Abnormal amounts have a connection to sex addiction. Oxytocin is also the foundation of many pleasurable feelings, from exercise to lovemaking.

Now, the research team reports it also causes stem cells from the hearts outer layer, or epicardium, to migrate into the middle, known as the myocardium.There they develop into cardiomyocytes, muscle cells that generate heart contractions. The discovery offers hope of promoting regeneration after damaging events like a heart attack. The cells die off in great numbers after a heart attack. Highly specialized cells dont replenish themselves.

However, previous studies have shown that a subset called EpiPCs (Epicardium-derived Progenitor Cells) can undergo reprogramming, becoming cardiomyocytes or other types of heart cells.Think of the EpiPCs as the stonemasons that repaired cathedrals in Europe in the Middle Ages, Aguirre explains.

Production is inefficient for heart regeneration in humans under natural conditions, but the humble zebrafish may hold the key. They are famous for their extraordinary capacity for regenerating organs including the brain, retina, internal organs, bone, and skin.

They dont suffer heart attacks, but predators are happy to take a bite out of any organ, since zebrafish can regrow their heart when as much as a quarter of it has been lost. This is done by proliferation of cardiomyocytes and EpiPCs. The magic bullet appears to be oxytocin.

In zebrafish, within three days after the heart was exposed to cryoinjury by freezing, expression of oxytocin in the brain soared 20-fold. Scans showed the hormone travelled to the epicardium and bound to the oxytocin receptor. This triggered a molecular cascade, stimulating local cells to expand and develop into EpiPCs.

The new cells headed for the zebrafish myocardium to develop into cardiomyocytes, blood vessels, and other important heart cells, to replace those which had been lost. Crucially, the researchers found oxytocin has a similar effect on cultured human tissue. It turned human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hIPSCs) into EpiPCs.

Numbers doubled due to the hormone. None of 14 other brain hormones tested worked. The effect was much stronger than other molecules tried in mice. On the other hand, genetic engineering that knocked out the oxytocin receptor prevented the regenerative activation of human EpiPCs. The link between oxytocin and the stimulation of EpiPCs was identified in a chemical pathway known to regulate the growth, differentiation and migration of cells.

These results show that it is likely that the stimulation by oxytocin of EpiPC production is evolutionary conserved in humans to a significant extent. Oxytocin is widely used in the clinic for other reasons, so repurposing for patients after heart damage is not a long stretch of the imagination. Even if heart regeneration is only partial, the benefits for patients could be enormous, Aguirre says.

Next, we need to look at oxytocin in humans after cardiac injury. Oxytocin itself is short-lived in the circulation, so its effects in humans might be hindered by that. Drugs specifically designed with a longer half-life or more potency might be useful in this setting. Overall, pre-clinical trials in animals and clinical trials in humans are necessary to move forward.

The study is published in the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology.

South West News Service writer Mark Waghorn contributed to this report.

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'Love hormone' oxytocin could help reverse damage from heart attacks via cell regeneration - Study Finds

The future possibilities of regenerative Medicine are endless. Know how regenerative medicine for heart diseases is better than conventional treatments.

Written by Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : October 5, 2022 9:52 AM IST

In the past few days, news of people dying due to cardiac arrest and heart attack during the festivities have been making headlines. Concerningly, increasing number of younger people, precisely adults who are in their 30s, are getting heart problems today. Health experts have been advising people to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent heart diseases or at least delay their onset. Also, tremendous advancements have been made in the field of cardiology making treatment of heart ailments more effective and less invasive. One of them is regenerative medicine, which is now being explored for the treatment of several diseases.

Get to more about regenerative medicine and its possibilities for treating heart diseases from Dr Pradeep Mahajan, Regenerative Medicine Researcher, Stem Rx Bioscience Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Navi Mumbai.

An alarming one out of four deaths in our country today is due to heart disease. This is largely due to our sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, and stress. Barring the heart conditions that are present from birth (congenital) or that are passed down through the generations (inherited), heart diseases can be prevented or at least the onset can be delayed by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The field of cardiology (relating to the heart) has advanced tremendously, and there are several medications and surgical procedures that help patients maintain the functions of the heart. However, these call for invasive treatments and the need for life-long medications. Moreover, the side effects of medicines should also be taken into account.

Enter the field of Regenerative Cardiology! As the word suggests, this branch refers to utilising the natural healing potential of the body to repair and re-grow damaged heart tissues. Stem cells have been researched in several heart diseases to overcome the damage to the heart and facilitate healing. Not just stem cells, but cell-based products like exosomes, molecular chaperones, growth factors etc. have shown promise as well. Do not think about the technicalities, all these molecules are present in our body and researchers and clinicians are now working on how to apply these for the treatment of several diseases.

Commonly, we hear of blocks in the heart, infection, and weak muscles of the heart that do not pump blood properly leading to various diseases. With cell-based therapies, we can tackle each of these issues. Stem cells (the most basic 'unspecialized' cells of our body) can multiply and form various cells of the body, including heart cells. Similarly, cell products like exosomes are cargo packets they carry the required substances for repair and re-growth of tissues. These biological molecules have 'housekeeping functions, meaning that they ensure that any unwanted product and even bacteria/viruses are removed periodically from the body.

The possibilities of Regenerative Medicine for heart diseases are many blocks in the heart can be dissolved, blood supply can be improved, heart muscles can be strengthened, etc. because these biological molecules are capable of reducing inflammation (swelling) in the body, modify the immune system to function better, enhance the functions of other cells, etc. Since these are part of our own body, providing these molecules in the appropriate quantity at the desired site will enhance healing without side effects. In fact, there is ongoing research on growing healthy heart tissue in labs with these biological molecules to transplant them into the human body. Who knows, someday the whole heart might be grown in a lab! While the future possibilities are endless, the current cell-based therapies can be a definitive addition to enhance the outcomes of existing conventional treatments. Of course, rehabilitation and lifestyle modifications are mandatory to maintain the results.

A holistic approach is important one cannot simply rely on symptom management the core issues have to be targeted and Regenerative Medicine can do just that. The death rate due to heart disease can be reduced and patients will be able to have a better quality of life.

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Regenerative Medicine For Heart Diseases: How It Is Better Than Conventional Treatments | TheHealthSite.co - TheHealthSite

KELOWNA, British Columbia, Sept. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tryp Therapeutics, Inc. (CSE: TRYP) (OTCQB: TRYPF) ("Tryp" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing psilocybin-based compounds for diseases with unmet medical needs, today announced the filing of two new provisional patent applications. One patent application, #63/405,786, is for the use of psilocybin for the treatment of patients with fibromyalgia and the other application, #63/375,305, expands the IP related to the Company’s development of TRP-8803.

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Parallel processing using TCXpress™ and iTCXpress™ platforms significantly increases throughput, reduces the cost and shortens the timing of identifying novel TCRs Parallel processing using TCXpress™ and iTCXpress™ platforms significantly increases throughput, reduces the cost and shortens the timing of identifying novel TCRs

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Guerbet obtains one million euros of public funding from Bpifrance (France 2030 investment plan) for a project developing artificial intelligence for the early detection of pancreatic cancer

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Guerbet obtains one million euros of public funding from Bpifrance (France 2030 investment plan) for a project developing artificial intelligence for...

Mupadolimab clinical trial in China will be conducted by Angel Pharmaceuticals Mupadolimab clinical trial in China will be conducted by Angel Pharmaceuticals

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AnPac Bio and New Investor Group Sign Equity Investment Totaling $3.67 Million