Longevity & Aging

Heart Protein PTMA Triggers Cardiac Muscle Cell Growth and Repair After Heart Attack

Researchers identified prothymosin α (PTMA) as a key protein that drives heart muscle cell proliferation during embryonic development. When overexpressed in adult hearts, PTMA enhanced cardiac repair after injury by reactivating cell division pathways that normally shut down after birth. The protein works by modifying STAT3 signaling, suggesting new therapeutic approaches for heart attack recovery.