The CCNA2 gene, which ceases activity after birth, can restore the division of heart cells after a heart attack and heart failure.
Oxu.Az reports that the results of the conducted research have been published in the journal "Regenerative Medicine".
American scientists have concluded that activating the CCNA2 gene using a safe viral vector stimulates the division of heart muscle cells in middle-aged adults.
This is the first evidence that heart cells, previously thought to lack regenerative capacity, can form new functional tissue.
In the experiment, heart cells from donors aged 21, 41, and 55 were used.