Zebrafish May Hold Key To Broken Heart

[mrmoshe]

Zebrafish may hold key to broken heart

DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 3 (UPI) -- It might not help with affairs of the heart, but researchers in North Carolina say zebrafish may hold the key to understanding repairs of the heart.

Researchers at Duke University said when they removed a portion of the fish's heart, they witnessed stem cells formed inside the wound interact with the wound's protective cell layer to regenerate functional heart tissue, ScienceDaily.com said.

Duke scientists said the research with zebrafish could provide a model to aid researchers revive what they believe is this dormant regenerative capacity in mammals -- leading to therapies for human hearts damaged by disease -- ScienceDaily.com said.

Team member Kenneth Poss said researchers learned the zebrafish's regeneration process resembled a salamander's, ScienceDaily.com said. The site of the injury acted as a gathering point for stem, or progenitor, cells that have the potential to become other cell types. As the progenitor cells got the biochemical cues, they turned into distinct cell types, such as bone, muscle and cartilage, forming a new limb.

Poss said progenitor cells have been identified in a mammal's heart, but for some reason don't regenerate, ScienceDaily.com said.