title: Molecular mechanisms of cardiomyocyte regeneration and therapeutic outlook.
abstract: Differently from some lower vertebrates, which can completely regenerate their heart, in higher vertebrates cardiac injury generally leads to progressive failure. Induction of cycle re-entry in terminally differentiated cardiomyocytes and stem-cell transplantation are strategies to increase the regenerative potential of the heart. As experimental and clinical studies progress, demonstrating that adult stem-cell administration has a favorable impact on myocardial function, the identification of cardiac stem cells suggests that some endogenous repair mechanisms actually exist in the mammalian heart. However, a deeper understanding of the mechanism that drives cardiomyocyte proliferation and stem-cell-mediated cardiac repair is required to translate such strategies into effective therapies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Biologia Vascolare e Terapia Genica, Centro Cardiologico Monzino, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Via Parea 4, 20138 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Germani
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Rocco
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Limana
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.forename: Maurizio C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Capogrossi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000276:immunology*; D012038:Regeneration / Q000276:immunology*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology*