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The Medical Research Council (MRC) has unveiled its first Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE), with each receiving up to £50 million over 14 years to tackle untreatable diseases. One of these, the MRC/BHF Centre of Research Excellence in Advanced Cardiac Therapies (REACT), co-funded with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), aims to revolutionize treatment for heart failure by developing genetic therapies that stimulate heart repair and regeneration.
Led by Professor Mauro Giacca of King’s College London, the centre will target the causes of heart failure, which affects nearly 1 million people in the UK and 65 million globally. Researchers will focus on processes like encouraging heart muscle cell growth, stimulating blood vessel formation, and countering scar tissue. Inspired by regenerative abilities observed in animals like salamanders and fish, the team seeks to awaken similar processes in human hearts using cutting-edge RNA-based therapies, including mRNA and small regulatory RNAs.
Therapeutic RNAs and DNAs will be delivered using advanced viral and non-viral technologies to modify cellular functions, potentially enabling cardiac cell regeneration. The centre’s ambitious goal is to develop and test advanced therapies for heart failure in clinical trials within seven years. The initiative will collaborate with industry leaders such as AstraZeneca and AskBio, leveraging expertise in genetic screening and delivery technologies to fast-track innovations.
This transformative project aligns with MRC’s vision to revolutionize disease treatment through bold, collaborative research efforts. With parallels to the rapid advancements seen with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, the REACT programme promises to open new frontiers in treating heart disease and beyond.
