Professor Dimmeler will be investigating how to improve the healing process following a heart attack by promoting cardiovascular regeneration and the repair of heart tissue. This research application is one of eleven - Life Science - projects in Germany to be selected for funding, chosen from approximately 800 competitive applications from all over Europe.
According to recent findings, small pieces of composed of ribonucleic acids (micro-RNAs) affect the synthesis of hundreds of proteins that play a role in these diseases. The aim is to discover new inhibitors for this regulatory system so that heart tissue can recover after it has been deprived of oxygen. These micro-RNAs and their inhibitors also appear to be suitable for the targeted activation of stem cells, which are already successfully being used at the Frankfurt University Hospital to treat patients who have had a heart attack or suffer from cardiac insufficiency. Since the risk of heart disease increases with age, the researchers will also be looking at how micro-RNAs affect cellular malfunction and degeneration during aging.
