Researchers Identify CHST7 as Major Barrier to Heart Cell Reprogramming

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, together with collaborators from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, reported in Nature Communications (July 17, 2026) that the enzyme carbohydrate sulfotransferase 7 (CHST7) strongly impedes the reprogramming of adult heart cells. Their experiments showed that CHST7 exerts this effect by enhancing signaling through the cell‑surface receptor CD44, which in turn alters the activity of the transcription factor JUNB and stabilizes the cells' original identity.

When the researchers genetically removed CD44 while overexpressing CHST7, the efficiency of a cardiac‑regeneration protocol rose by 47 percent compared with cells that retained normal CD44 levels. The findings suggest that targeting the CHST7‑CD44‑JUNB pathway could help develop therapies that enable the heart to repair itself after injury, such as heart attacks.