The newborn heart has the ability to regenerate

Researchers from Texas have discovered that the hearts of newborn mammals can completely recover from injury. In experiments, part of the heart was removed from mice in the first week of life, and over time, the organ completely regenerated, returning to normal function.

Scientists had previously observed that simpler organisms, such as fish and amphibians, are capable of regenerating damaged body parts—fins, tails, and even the heart—after injury. This led to the study of mammalian regenerative potential.

Three weeks after approximately 15% of the mouse heart tissue was removed, complete regeneration was observed. According to the specialists, the main sources of new cells are cardiomyocytes—damaged heart cells that temporarily suspend their function to allow new tissue to grow.

Adults lack this regenerative capacity. In adults, damaged areas of the heart do not regenerate on their own, creating significant challenges in cardiology when treating heart attacks and other heart diseases.

However, studying the mechanisms of cardiac repair in newborns offers promising prospects for developing new treatments. Scientists hope that, over time, it will be possible to stimulate similar regeneration in adult patients by harnessing mechanisms active in the first days of life.

These discoveries highlight the importance of early development for the body's regenerative capacity. Understanding how cardiac cells form new cells and repair tissue may be key to developing revolutionary approaches to cardiac therapy.