Protein promotes small artery growth to damaged heart tissue in mice, study finds

A collaboration between basic and clinical scientists at Stanford University has revealed a protein that promotes the growth of small arteries leading into oxygen-starved heart tissues in mice. Kristy Red-Horse, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, and Joseph Woo, MD, professor of cardiothoracic surgery, think the growth of these new arteries may help heal damage caused by heart disease or heart attack or even help prevent that damage.
In clinical practice, Woo has observed that patients with blockages in major arteries feeding the heart often have confoundingly different outcomes. "Some patients have a blockage in one coronary artery and die; other patients have multiple blockages in multiple areas but can run marathons," said Woo, who holds the Norman E. Shumway Professorship.