Researchers found that a protein called IGFBP7 is significantly elevated in heart failure patients and contributes to aging of heart cells. When they blocked IGFBP7 in mice with heart disease, cardiac function improved, inflammation decreased, and cells showed better ability to repair DNA damage and neutralize harmful free radicals.
Scientists studied heart tissue and blood samples from heart failure patients, then used mouse models of heart disease to test whether removing or neutralizing IGFBP7 could improve outcomes.
Funding not disclosed in abstract