Since the birth of a mammal to an indefinite period, the heart retains the amazing ability to regenerate completely. If you took an injury or suffer a heart attack, heart pump would trigger a repair mechanism to return to rebuild, as do lizards when they lose their tail.
This capacity reserved so far for some amphibians and fish also seem to lie with mammals. Mice at least, as a study published in the journal Science . " Although it appears that this ability is temporary and its expiration date is still to be determined.
The discovery comes from the United States. A group of researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern experienced with newborn mice when they discovered that the portion of the ventricle that had been removed on the first day of life had regrown and heart tissue was as if there had been no aggression. The portion of tissue represented approximately 15% of the total volume of the organ and in less than three weeks had grown back. That near-miraculous ability fades after a few days, but the experiment suggests that the heart of mammals, including humans, have a greater regenerative capacity than previously thought.
The human heart has that ability even after birth, somehow disconnected. In small mammals such as rodents are known to lose a week of birth. But do not know the window of opportunity we have in humans. Knowing this information, and the mechanisms that make it possible would lead to solutions for people who have suffered a heart attack. Eric Olson, one of the authors of the study, believes that research "clearly shows that cardiac regeneration is possible and just need to find methods to awaken it in adulthood."
the moment, there are already tracks. A study from the University of Texas joined other work led by the English Juan Carlos Izpisúa. His team has identified the type of cardiac cells that participate in the "miracle" of regeneration. Are the cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells that allow the contraction of the heart). If you find a formula to mobilize this army of cells put into action when a heart attack.
CAPACITY FORGET
After a heart attack, healthy muscle is replaced by scar tissue that and not shrink back. However, before the heart pump runs, the heart cells into a state of hibernation to try and save. This behavior may be a reminder of the regenerative capacity of mammals to forget as they grow. To date, all human attempts to recover the heart after myocardial focus on the use of stem cells, whether from fat, muscle, heart or bone marrow. The way in which nature regenerates the damaged heart seems to be much easier. The idea is to try to imitate. Prevent implantation of foreign cells and try to activate the regeneration with drugs.