Hearts Can Re-grow

Mice can re-grow their hearts.

This is the astounding discovery made by US scientists after studying heart tissue in mice.

According to the team, the mice had a considerable chunk of their heart muscle removed a day after their birth. But astonishingly the mice re-grew this missing piece within 3 weeks.

Scientists already know that amphibians and fish have this power to re-grow their heart tissue. But this new discovery is the first time scientists have witnessed heart tissue re-growth in mammals.

Now heart experts in the UK are excited and say this could go a long way in understanding how heart tissue re-generates and could potentially be used to treat humans.

The study was conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The scientists removed the left ventricular apex in the mice. This equates to approximately 15% of the mouse’s overall heart muscle. They did this 24 hours after the mice were born.

The scientists then studied the mice over a 3 week period and were amazed to see that the mice had the ability to completely re-grow the surgically removed section of the heart. The heart appeared to function completely fine upon re-growth.

BUT, the scientists conducted the same experiment on mice a week old. What they found was the heart tissue regeneration FAILED.

This gave the scientists the impression that the ability to self-repair is short lived in mice.

Fish such as the Zebra-fish have the ability to re-grow heart muscle right into their adult lives. Now the study has confirmed that mammals have the ability to re-generate, even if for a limited period.

Now the scientists believe such a window of opportunity may exist in humans. Further tests are to be carried out.

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