Molecular mechanisms of heart regeneration

Ana Vujic; Niranjana Natarajan; Richard T Lee

doi:10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.09.003

Molecular mechanisms of heart regeneration

Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2020 Apr:100:20-28. doi: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2019.09.003. Epub 2019 Oct 4.

Authors

Ana Vujic¹, Niranjana Natarajan¹, Richard T Lee²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
² Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. Electronic address: Richard_Lee@harvard.edu.

Abstract

The adult mammalian heart is incapable of clinically relevant regeneration. The regenerative deficit in adult mammalian heart contrasts with the fetal and neonatal heart, which demonstrate substantial regenerative capacity after injury. This deficiency in adult mammals is attributable to the lack of resident stem cells after birth, combined with an inability of pre-existing cardiomyocytes to complete cytokinesis. Studies of neonatal heart regeneration in mammals suggest that latent regenerative potential can be re-activated. Dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms that promote cardiomyocyte proliferation is key to stimulating true regeneration in adult humans. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of cardiomyocyte proliferation that suggest molecular approaches to heart regeneration.

Keywords: Cardiomyocyte proliferation; Growth factors; Heart regeneration; Hippo-YAP; Wnt.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Cell Proliferation
Heart / physiology*
Humans
Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology*
Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism*
Regeneration*
Stem Cells / cytology
Stem Cells / metabolism

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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