An Italian research institute has discovered a gene that helps the heart recover from heart attacks and strokes.
Mauro Giacca, director of the International Institute for Genetics and Biotechnology (ICGEB) in the northern Italian city of Trieste, announced the discovery here Monday at the launch of ICGEB's second lab outside Italy, after the one it operates in New Delhi.
The gene has been dubbed Notch, Giacca said.
"Notch is behind the regeneration of heart cells," he said, stressing that results with mice had been "very good".
"By reactivating the gene you can reactivate cell generation in the diseased heart".
ICGEB's new centre was unveiled by South African President Thabo Mbeki and Italian Research Minister Fabio Mussi.
They said it would be at the forefront in the battle against the diseases plaguing Africa, from AIDS to malaria, TBC, hepatitis B and C, and rare diseases which are endemic in certain parts of the continent.
Mbeki called ICGEB "an example of an international task force for the welfare of all mankind".
Mussi stressed that the Trieste-based lab was 80% funded by the Italian government, which will also add to South Africa's 1.1-million-euro-a-year start-up budget for the Cape Town lab.
ICGEB has an army of researchers from 55 countries, he added.
ICGEB Director-General Francisco Barall said the new centre aimed to develop vaccines for infectious diseases but would also fight tumours and heart disease.
"Italy is our major sponsor but we hope that the Group of Eight, which has mentioned this project, will also soon give us backing", he said.
