aNtHESIS · Novel heart regeneration strategies

Heart disease and particularly myocardial infarction, i.e. heart attack, is the leading cause of death in the Western world today. The diminished regenerative potential of the heart begins shortly after birth, when most CardioMyocytes (CMs) cease to proliferate and make a transition from hyperplastic to hypertrophic growth. The Tzahor lab has been intensively exploring novel molecules, compounds as well as the molecular mechanisms that facilitate CM cell division in the adult heart of mammals as a strategy for eliciting heart regeneration. These efforts, had led to the identification of novel compounds which significantly increased the proliferation of adult CMs. Drawing upon these findings, the aim of the aNtHESIS project is two-fold. First, to (i) validate the pre-clinical application of our two novel compounds by conducting comprehensive in-vitro and in-vivo tests in mice as well as by carrying out experiments using human CMs. The second aim is (ii) to establish the business feasibility of our cardiac regenerative therapy concept by taking the necessary steps towards the commercialization of our novel compounds, focusing on the creation of strategic alliances with key private sector companies.