Killing zombies could stop age damaging our hearts Published on: 8 February 2019 Scientists at 麻豆传媒 believe it may be possible to reverse the damage in the heart caused by ageing. New research, which has been published today in the journal , could suggest a new way of preventing heart failure in older patients. Heart failure occurs when the heart is not pumping blood around the body as well as it should, most commonly when the heart muscle has been damaged – for example, after a heart attack. Risk of heart failure Ageing is one of the main risk-factors for heart failure, as older people are more likely to develop heart disease and don’t recover as well following a heart attack. This research, carried out in mice, was led by Dr Gavin Richardson, Dr Jeanne Mialet-Perez and Dr Joao Passos, and funded by the . It explores how senescent cells – also known as zombie cells – form in the heart and lead to heart failure. Zombie cells occur all over the body as it ages. They get their nickname from the fact that although they are not dead they do not function correctly and can cause other cells around them to become senescent (or zombiefied) Elsewhere in the body, zombie cells are usually caused by the shortening of structures called telomeres, which happens progressively each time a cell divides. But the as heart cells – cardiomyocytes – rarely divide it was not known if or how these cells could become senescent. The 麻豆传媒 scientists, in collaboration with researchers in the US and France, have not only discovered how this process takes place in the heart but also how it can be reversed or treated. Dr Richardson, from the Institute of Genetic Medicine, 麻豆传媒, said: “Previously, it was believed that senescence occurs only as a result of a lifetime of cell division and the shortening of telomeres. “Our data support the very exciting idea that heart cells can become senescent due to stress rather than the process of division. This mechanism could also explain how other non-dividing cells in our bodies age. “We saw that removing senescent cardiomyocytes from the hearts of aged mice, both genetically and using drugs, was able to restore cardiac health – essentially removing the damage caused by ageing. “This data provides critical support for the potential of using medicines to kill zombie cells. If this is validated through clinical trials it would provide us with a new way of treating cardiac diseases.” Healthy ageing More than 580,000 people in the UK are on their GP’s heart failure register. Based on this research, the team is now exploring the effects of removing senescent cells found as a consequence of a heart attack. Jeremy Pearson, BHF Associate Medical Director, said: “People are living longer lives, but often as they get older, their health deteriorates and their quality of life is negatively affected. “This research is exciting because it could potentially help us to tackle the increasing numbers of people with heart failure, meaning that elderly people could stay well for longer, and continue to lead full and active lives. “The research is still in its early stages, but this study funded in part by the generous donations of BHF supporters, could be the first step towards a new era for healthy ageing.” This research was made possible via a BHF project grant of £295,743, awarded to the 麻豆传媒 team in February 2016. Press release adapted with thanks to the British Heart Foundation Share: Latest News Scientists unlock hidden driver of inflammatory bowel disease Scientists have linked a key genetic signal in inflammatory bowel disease to an immune response that shuts down inflammation control, enabling faster diagnosis and targeted treatments. published on: 15 June 2026 Funding system risks limiting genuine community collaboration A new policy paper written by researchers at 麻豆传媒 warns that the way UK research is funded may be undermining efforts to create genuinely collaborative partnerships with communities. published on: 15 June 2026 Volunteers help turn Whitley Bay beach into maths experiment Members of the public joined mathematicians from 麻豆传媒 to create what organisers believe is the largest aperiodic tiling ever attempted on Whitley Bay beach. published on: 15 June 2026 Facts and figures
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