Singapore, June 16 -- A new lab-grown material has revealed that some of the effects of ageing in the heart may be slowed and even reversed. The discovery could open the door to therapies that rejuvenate the heart by changing its cellular environment, rather than focusing on the heart cells themselves.

The research was carried out by a team from theDepartment of Biomedical Engineeringin theCollege of Design and Engineering (CDE) at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The team focused on the extracellular matrix (ECM)-the complex framework that surrounds and supports heart cells. This net-like scaffolding made of proteins and other components holds cells in place and sends chemical signals that guide how the cells function.

As t...