Enzyme inhibitor limits scarring after heart attacks and protects heart function in mice
Medical Xpress reports an early-stage mouse study from Nagoya University, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, finding that the enzyme BCAT1 helps scar-forming heart cells supply proline for collagen after a heart attack. In mice, removing BCAT1 or giving the inhibitor ERG240 reduced scarring and preserved heart function, even when ERG240 began seven days after injury. Human heart failure tissue showed elevated BCAT1 linked to fibrosis.
Why it matters: Relevant to cardiologists, cardiac rehabilitation teams and referring clinicians who follow early laboratory research on heart scarring after heart attacks.
A summary of another publisher's reporting, written with AI and checked automatically against the story. The reporting belongs to medicalxpress.com. October 9, 2026.
