Immature heart cells persist in the adult heart and react to infarction

Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. After myocardial infarction, heart cells (or cardiomyocytes) die and are replaced by fibrotic tissue leading to impaired cardiac function. The assessment of the regenerative capacity of the heart has always been compromised by the lack of signatures to characterize cardiomyocytes. Researchers from the Institut Pasteur discovered a population of immature cardiomyocytes which persists in the adult heart and is able to respond to infarction by increasing in numbers. This work opens new perspectives in the understanding and treatment of heart pathologies.

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