Researchers discover why the heart cannot regenerate
Posted on: 14/Sep/2015 12:31:18 PM
Researchers from Universitatslinikum Erlangen have published a study that explains why human hearts cannot regenerate. The scientists discovered an endogenous process that control the cardiac muscle cells’ reproduction. This discovery may also help develop new treatments for heart attacks and cancer.
Researchers said that they have found the centrosome in the muscle cells in the heart. This undergoes a disassembly process that finishes after birth. This process lets out some proteins that leave the centrosome and relocates in the membrane of the cell nucleus in the which DNA is stored. This causes the centrosome to split into two centrioles. The centrioles cause the cell to lose the ability to reproduce.
The paper, that was published in the journal eLife, explains the state of centrosome integrity, and if it is naturally regulated across animal species. The discovery, especially in mammals, may help in future research. It gives scientists an opening to attempt to stimulate cardiac muscle cell reproduction in humans, that will, in turn, help regenerate the heart. Also, the centrosome integrity can be further studied and may lead to new forms of medical treatment. An understanding of this mechanism may also help scientists develop methods to control the growth of cancer cells.
