A Newcastle University team are working on a test which could find so-called "zombie cells" in potential donor hearts.
This could mean a greater chance of finding a life-saving organ for one of the 320 people waiting for one at any one time.
It comes from research part-funded by the British Heart Foundation and presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference. The team in Newcastle hope that their test will help medics to work out quickly if a donor heart is suitable for transplant - this could in theory boost the hearts available.
That's because - at the moment - hearts from those over 65 are not accepted for transplant. But, because being older does not necessarily relate to the health of our hearts, experts are looking for ways to check for signs of the problems which mean hearts cannot be transplanted.
The Newcastle team - led by Dr Gavin Richardson - have found that people with heart disease have more senescent – the so-called "zombie" – cells than those without heart disease. These cells are not dead, but they do not work as they ought to, and release molecules which can in turn make neighbouring cells into "zombies" too.
They also increase inflammation and scar tissue in the heart - and raise the risk of disease. Dr Richardson's team are now looking for traces - a "signature" - of these cells in the blood, and if a blood test can identify patients who have more or less damaged hearts.
Dr Richardson, a senior lecturer and lead for vascular medicine and biology at Newcastle University, said: "Our work is revealing more about the clues that ‘zombie’ cells leave to suggest their presence in the body. We are confident that we will be able to use these clues to better understand which hearts from non-eligible donors might be able to be used after all.
"This could be a game changer – as currently most hearts from older donors are not used for transplant, but the hope is we will be able to show that a number of these organs are suitable for transplant for people desperately waiting for a new heart."
The researchers think two molecules found in the blood of those with heart disease could form the "signature" - and they are now working to see how this is linked to heart transplant outcomes.
Professor James Leiper, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said the UK was facing a "heart failure epidemic", adding: "For a small but significant number of these people the only cure we can offer is a heart transplant.
"We urgently need more hearts available for transplant, so it is very encouraging to hear about the work Dr Richardson and his colleagues are doing to help meet this demand."
Derek Manas, medical director for transplantation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "With the need for organ donation and transplantation to happen quickly, it is helpful to explore the ways that new technologies and tests can help us assess the suitability of organs for transplant.
"For many reasons, hearts from donors of any age are often not suitable for transplant, so we are keen to support any research which may help us increase the number of hearts suitable for transplantation, save more lives and improve outcomes for those who are waiting."
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