Scientists conducting stem cell research at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis have demonstrated that embryonic stem cells from mice can help build the heart.
According to the report published in Cell Stem Cell, the findings suggest a step forward in the use of stem cell research to develop a new generation of treatments for heart disease.
Senior author of the study, Dr Kenneth Murphy, professor of pathology and immunology, said: "This isn’t the only gene we’ll need to get stem cells to repair damaged hearts, but it’s a key piece of the puzzle.
"This gene is like the first domino in a chain: the Mesp1 protein activates genes that make other important proteins, and these in turn activate other genes and so on. The end result of these falling genetic dominoes is your whole cardiovascular system."
The researchers hope that stem cells could hold the potential to create new tissue for the treatment of a wide range of diseases and injuries.
