THURSDAY, Nov. 2, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- New information about how the hearts of tiny zebrafish regenerate could help in developing new ways to treat heart damage in humans, say Duke University Medical Center scientists.
They found that when a portion of a zebrafish's heart is removed, stem cells that form in the wound work with a protective cell layer that covers the wound to re-grow functional heart tissue.
The Duke team also discovered that certain growth factors facilitate interactions between the stem cells and the protective cell layer. The findings are published in the Nov. 3 issue of the journal Cell.
It's believed that the ability to regenerate damaged heart tissue is present in all vertebrate species but, for unknown reasons, humans and other mammals have "turned off" this regeneration function, according to background information in the article.
Discovering the key to this dormant ability could lead to new ways to treat human hearts damaged by disease, the Duke scientists said.
"Multiple types of progenitor (undifferentiated stem) cells have been identified within the mammalian heart, yet it displays little or no regeneration when damaged," senior researcher Kenneth Poss, said in a prepared statement.
"By contrast, zebrafish mount a vigorous regenerative response after cardiac injury. Future studies in zebrafish could help us discover why this regenerative ability is lacking in mammals and potential ways to stimulate it," Poss said.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about heart disease.
