title: Functional Recovery of a Human Neonatal Heart After Severe Myocardial Infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac remodeling and subsequent heart failure remain critical issues after myocardial infarction despite improved treatment and reperfusion strategies. Recently, cardiac regeneration has been demonstrated in fish and newborn mice after apex resection or cardiac infarctions. Two key issues remain to translate findings in model organisms to future therapies in humans: what is the mechanism and can cardiac regeneration indeed occur in newborn humans?
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether human neonatal hearts can functionally recover after myocardial infarction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we report the case of a newborn child having a severe myocardial infarction due to coronary artery occlusion. The child developed massive cardiac damage as defined by serum markers for cardiomyocyte cell death, electrocardiograms, echocardiography, and cardiac angiography. Remarkably, within weeks after the initial ischemic insult, we observed functional cardiac recovery, which translated into long-term normal heart function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that, similar to neonatal rodents, newborn humans might have the intrinsic capacity to repair myocardial damage and completely recover cardiac function.
authors.affiliation: From the IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria (B.J.H., J.M.P.); and Department of Pediatrics III-Cardiology, Pulmonology, Allergology, Cystic Fibrosis (J.S., U.S., J.-I.S.), Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology and Angiology) (B.J.H., T.S., W.D.), and Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (C.V.-S.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Bernhard J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Haubner
authors.affiliation: From the IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria (B.J.H., J.M.P.); and Department of Pediatrics III-Cardiology, Pulmonology, Allergology, Cystic Fibrosis (J.S., U.S., J.-I.S.), Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology and Angiology) (B.J.H., T.S., W.D.), and Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (C.V.-S.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: From the IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria (B.J.H., J.M.P.); and Department of Pediatrics III-Cardiology, Pulmonology, Allergology, Cystic Fibrosis (J.S., U.S., J.-I.S.), Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology and Angiology) (B.J.H., T.S., W.D.), and Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (C.V.-S.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schweigmann
authors.affiliation: From the IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria (B.J.H., J.M.P.); and Department of Pediatrics III-Cardiology, Pulmonology, Allergology, Cystic Fibrosis (J.S., U.S., J.-I.S.), Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology and Angiology) (B.J.H., T.S., W.D.), and Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (C.V.-S.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schuetz
authors.affiliation: From the IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria (B.J.H., J.M.P.); and Department of Pediatrics III-Cardiology, Pulmonology, Allergology, Cystic Fibrosis (J.S., U.S., J.-I.S.), Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology and Angiology) (B.J.H., T.S., W.D.), and Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (C.V.-S.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dichtl
authors.affiliation: From the IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria (B.J.H., J.M.P.); and Department of Pediatrics III-Cardiology, Pulmonology, Allergology, Cystic Fibrosis (J.S., U.S., J.-I.S.), Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology and Angiology) (B.J.H., T.S., W.D.), and Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (C.V.-S.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Corinna
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Velik-Salchner
authors.affiliation: From the IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria (B.J.H., J.M.P.); and Department of Pediatrics III-Cardiology, Pulmonology, Allergology, Cystic Fibrosis (J.S., U.S., J.-I.S.), Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology and Angiology) (B.J.H., T.S., W.D.), and Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (C.V.-S.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. Joerg.Stein@i-med.ac.at josef.penninger@imba.oeaw.ac.at.
authors.forename: Joerg-I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.affiliation: From the IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria (B.J.H., J.M.P.); and Department of Pediatrics III-Cardiology, Pulmonology, Allergology, Cystic Fibrosis (J.S., U.S., J.-I.S.), Department of Internal Medicine III (Cardiology and Angiology) (B.J.H., T.S., W.D.), and Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (C.V.-S.), Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. Joerg.Stein@i-med.ac.at josef.penninger@imba.oeaw.ac.at.
authors.forename: Josef M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Penninger
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016923:Cell Death; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D054059:Coronary Occlusion / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012038:Regeneration; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: angiography; cell death; heart failure; myocardial infarction; regeneration