In an interesting article from the University of Arizona’s Department of Health Sciences, a substantial feat was discovered, being that some artificial heart patients could regenerate heart muscle. A research team led by Dr. Hesam Sadek at the University of Arizona’s Sarver Heart Center uncovered that some patients with left ventricular assist devices could regenerate heart muscle. The study used tissue samples from patients with artificial hearts. A group of experts used carbon dating techniques and in the end found that heart muscle cells in patients with artificial hearts could regenerate over 6 times faster than healthy hearts. As many of the experts hypothesized, it was generally concluded that the artificial heart’s ability to take some load off the heart (by pumping blood for the heart) is what encouraged the regeneration to occur. The goal for these experts is to try and make regeneration possible for all people, which could potentially cure problems like heart failure.
This article connects to our most recent Unit in AP Bio, that being cellular respiration. Heart cells, like all cells require energy to maintain their cellular functions, including repair and regeneration. The regeneration of these heart cells naturally require extreme energy in the form of ATP, a compound produced through Cellular Respiration. There are 3 distinct parts of cellular respiration, that being Glycolysis, Oxidation of Pyruvate & the Krebs cycle, and Oxidative Phosphorylation. In Glycolysis, ATP is used to break down glucose. Then, the glucose molecules are rearranged and phosphates are removed. In the end the removal of phosphates help form 4 ATP. However, as 2 ATP are used to break down the glucose, it is a net gain of 2 ATP. During the Krebs Cycle, a reduced NAD+ (Now NADH) is put into the cycle, and in the end, the products are 6CO2, 2 ATP, 8 NADH, and 2 FADH2. Lastly, during oxidative phosphorylation, NADH and FADH2 are oxidized and the electrons are passed down an electron chain consisting of cytochromes. Then as the H+ gradient fills up, H+ will flow through the ATP synthase complex, generating 28 ATP. Lastly, O2 will act as the “final electron acceptor” and join with electrons from the chain and H+ to reset the cycle and make a waste product of H20. In the end, cellular respiration converts glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water, and the most important product, energy in the form of ATP. The finding helps support the idea that the heart’s inability to regenerate is due to the constant need to pump blood. Since the ATP given to heart muscle cells is used to keep the heart pumping, there is not enough ATP left for heart muscle cells to use to regenerate. However, people with artificial hearts do not have this problem as the artificial heart helps the heart pump blood. Therefore there is sufficent ATP for the heart to regenerate.
There are many future implications to this article. But most importantly, if scientists can find why the heart muscles regenerate, and how to apply it to all people could lead to potential treatments for many heart problems like heart failure. As someone who knows how common severe heart problems are, I am excited to see that this study could lead to a potential cure to many of these problems. What problem do you think scientists will be able to solve with this groundbreaking discovery?
Leave a Reply