Summary
The mammalian heart cannot regenerate substantial cardiac injuries, while certain
non-mammalian vertebrates such as certain fish (Danio rerio) and amphibiae (Notophthalmus viridescens) are able to repair the heart without functional impairment. In mammalians, the prevailing
repair process is accompanied by fibrosis and scarring, while zebrafish and newts
can replace lost contractile tissue by newly formed cardiac muscle with only little
or no scar formation.A better understanding of cardiac regeneration in non-mammalian
vertebrates might provide new insights for the manipulation of regenerative pathways
in the human heart. Here, we summarize the current knowledge in cardiac regeneration
of newts and the principal differences to repair processes in mammalian hearts.
Keywords
Newt - cardiac muscle - regeneration - dedifferentiation - proliferation