A growth factor drug has shown promise in tackling heart failure in early clinical trials, it has been announced.
Some 40 patients received a single infusion of cimaglermin.
Developers believe it can help the structural, metabolic and contractile parts of the heart repair themselves.
According to findings of the study, a high dose of the treatment led to a sustained increase in left ventricular ejection fraction for 90 days.
The maximum improvement was at day 28.
The findings have been reported in JACC: Basic to Translational Science.
Researcher Dr Daniel Lenihan, of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, said: "These findings support continued clinical development of the investigational drug cimaglermin, including further safety evaluations and detailing the potential improvement on clinical heart failure outcome measures.
"As with all experimental therapeutics, additional studies will be required and subject to regulatory review to determine if the relative risks and benefits of cimaglermin warrant approval."
Journal editor Dr Douglas Mann said the findings were "exciting."
He said: "Instead of blocking the fundamental mechanisms that lead to cardiac injury, the early results with cimaglermin suggest that it may also be possible to administer therapeutics that allow the failing heart to repair itself using its own repair mechanisms.
"If the results of this study can be replicated and translated into improvements in clinical outcomes in larger numbers of patients in phase II and III clinical trials, it will represent a paradigm shift in the way in which clinicians treat patients with heart failure."
JACC: Basic to Translational Science 26 December 2016
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