Scientists mimic young tissue to reverse ageing in the heart

Researchers at the National University of Singapore, led by Assistant Professor Jennifer Young, have developed a novel lab-grown biomaterial called DECIPHER that mimics the heart’s extracellular matrix (ECM) to reverse ageing effects in heart tissue. Instead of targeting heart cells directly, the team focused on the ECM—a protein-rich scaffold that supports cells and regulates their behavior but stiffens and malfunctions with age, contributing to heart decline. DECIPHER combines natural heart tissue with a synthetic hydrogel, allowing independent control of the ECM’s stiffness and biochemical signals, which was previously difficult to achieve. Using DECIPHER, the researchers demonstrated that aged heart cells cultured on scaffolds replicating youthful biochemical cues exhibited rejuvenation, even when the scaffold remained stiff. Conversely, young heart cells exposed to aged ECM biochemical signals showed early dysfunction regardless of stiffness, highlighting that biochemical environment plays a more critical role than stiffness in aged cell decline. These findings suggest that restoring youthful biochemical signals in the ECM could reverse heart ageing, while controlling stiffness might