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A new study on heart indicates that it is possible to repair scar tissue by converting them into heart cells and aid heart recovery post an attack.

According to The Times of India, the study was carried out by researchers at University of California in Los Angeles. The researchers found that scar cells called fibroblasts can be turned into endothelial cells to form blood vessels that can aid heart recovery.

"Our findings suggest the possibility of coaxing scar-forming cells in the heart to change their identity into blood vessel-forming cells, which could potentially be a useful approach for better heart repair. It is well known that increasing the number of blood vessels in the injured heart following a heart attack improves its ability to heal," Arjun Deb, associate professor of medicine at UCLA said according to The Times of India. 

The extent of scarring of heart tissue following a heart attack determines recovery and occurrence of future heart attacks. A scarred portion of the heart does not receive blood supply and cannot function normally.

UCLA researchers made their findings based on mice studies. Genetically labelled scar cells in mice converted to endothelial cells in a process described as mesenchymal-endothelial transition, or MEndoT.

In addition to discovering the transition, Deb and his team also found that it was possible to induce or aid this transition with small molecules, which paves the way for future heart attack treatments. When administered, these molecules restricted scarring in the heart post attack and aided heart healing in mice.

"There are remarkable similarities in the process of scarring in different organs after injury. Our hope is that this approach can be used to treat scar tissue in other organs as well," Deb told Economic Times. 

The findings of the study have been published in the journal Nature.