Scientists at Northwestern University and at the University of California San Diego have developed a potent injectable therapy that the results of rodent studies showed can protect the heart from damage after a heart attack.

The therapeutic approach comprises specially designed polymers that act like proteins. These protein-like polymers (PLPs) “grab” onto regulatory proteins, which blunt the body’s natural healing process, in heart tissue. With those proteins out of the way, the healing proteins are free to do their job—preventing stress and inflammation. After demonstrating success in cell culture, the scientists tested their new therapy in a rat model of myocardial infarction (MI)… Continue reading.