Publishing in Circulation, the research team used transcriptomic analysis to pinpoint an RNA splicing regulator named RBFox1 that was highly elevated soon after birth in a newborn heart. Analyses of published single-cell data also showed dramatic RBFox1 increase in maturing heart cells.

“This represents the first evidence that RNA splicing control contributes significantly to heart cell maturation,” said lead author Dr Huang Jijun, who performed the preclinical study during his postdoctoral work at UCLA. “While RBFox1 alone may not be sufficient to mature foetal heart muscle cells all the way to fully matured adult cells, our findings uncover a new RNA-based internal network that can substantially drive this maturation process beyond other available approaches.” Read more>>

Source: https://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/allnews/new-discovery-could-aid-regenerative-heart-therapies?utm_source=website&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=spotlight