Underlying mechanisms and prospects of heart regeneration

Abstract

Using electron microscopy in 1974, Oberpriler et al. (1974 demonstrated the prospect of cardiac regeneration in newts. Later, Witman et al. (2011) reported that the adult newt is able to completely regenerate its heart after a basal resection (Witman et al., 2011). Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a tropical freshwater fish Abstract: Findings in the last decade suggest that there is a considerable amount of cardiomyocyte turnover in the human heart throughout life, albeit not sufficient for heart regeneration following myocardial infarctions. Only a few species are known to be remarkably efficient in cardiac regeneration. They restore lost cardiomyocytes via a process of cardiomyocyte dedifferentiation, which is followed by robust proliferation of cardiomyocytes and incorporation into the myocardium. Similarly, neonatal mice have been recently shown to regenerate their heart following myocardial injuries. Studies with a neonatal cardiac regeneration mouse model suggest that the major source of new cardiomyocytes is likely to be of cardiomyocyte origin, with the possibility of involvement of cardiac stem cells. To this end, numerous studies have been conducted on the induction of cardiac regeneration to shed light on the underlying mechanisms. This review covers studies on the renewal of cardiomyocytes, the utilization of stem cells in myocardial therapies, and their future applications.

Emerging Roles of Meis1 in Cardiac Regeneration, Stem Cells and Cancer

“…Cardiac regeneration comprises one of the most important context of regenerative medicine (reviewed in [23]. Regenerative capacity of heart may vary between and within species [24,25].…”

Malat1 deficiency prevents neonatal heart regeneration by inducing cardiomyocyte binucleation

“…During the first week of life, mice are able to regenerate injured myocardium ( 1 , 2 ). Similar to other species with regeneration capabilities, regeneration of the murine postnatal heart is achieved by the proliferation of existing cardiomyocytes ( 1 , 3 , 4 ). The infiltration of proregenerative immune cells ( 5 ), angiogenesis and arteriogenesis ( 6 ), and innervation of the cardiac tissue ( 7 ) contribute to this transient regenerative capacity.…”