Zebrafish Heart Regeneration: Cracking the Genetic Code
2025-07-01
Researchers from Caltech and UC Berkeley have identified the genetic circuit responsible for zebrafish's remarkable heart regeneration ability, offering clues for future human heart repair. The study reveals that heart cells derived from neural crest cells orchestrate the regeneration process. These cells activate specific genes during embryonic development, which are deactivated in adulthood but reactivated after injury to enable regeneration. The team is now investigating the trigger for gene reactivation and using CRISPR technology to explore reactivating these genes in human heart cells. This research holds significant promise for treating heart conditions like heart attacks and congenital heart defects.