Gangjian Qin, University of Alabama at Birmingham (IMAGE)

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Gangjian Qin, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Caption

Exosomes are key to the SOS signal that the heart muscle sends out after a heart attack. Exosomes in the bloodstream carry greatly increased amounts of heart-specific microRNAs -- as seen in both mice and humans. These exosomes preferentially go to progenitor cells in the bone marrow. Inside those cells, the microRNAs turn off a specific gene that allows the progenitor cells to leave the bone marrow and travel to the heart to attempt repairs.

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UAB

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