Flipping a molecular switch for heart fibrosis

(Gladstone Institutes) Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have discovered a master switch for fibrosis in the heart. When the heart is under stress, they found, the gene MEOX1 is turned on in cells called fibroblasts, spurring fibrosis. Their new study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that blocking this gene could prevent fibrosis in the heart--and other organs that can similarly fail from stiffening over time.