Scientists have discovered why some heart tissue turns into bone, and they may have learned how to stop it
This image shows blood flow in the heart activates the NOTCH1 gene, triggering a cascade of anti-inflammatory and anti-calcification pathways. Disruption of this process can result in a hardening of the valves in cardiovascular disease.
Credit: Christina Theodoris
Researchers from the Gladstone Institutes have used human cells to discover how blood flow in the heart protects against the hardening of valves in cardiovascular disease. What's more, they've identified a potential way to correct this process when it goes wrong by flipping the switch on just a handful of genes.
