Slow release of a drug, TT-10, improves heart attack recovery in a mouse model

A pharmaceutical product called TT-10, which spurs proliferation of heart muscle cells, was thought to offer promise to treat heart attacks. In a mouse heart-attack model several years ago, intraperitoneal injection of TT-10 at first promoted proliferation of heart muscle cells and showed declines in the size of the dead area of heart muscle. However, these early improvements were followed by worsened cardiac function at later time points. Now researchers show that a different delivery method, nanoparticle-mediated, slow-release of TT-10, enhances the potency and durability of TT-10 treatment for repair of heart muscle in the mouse heart-attack model.