Surprising Science — February 25, 2011

Mice Can Re-Grow Hearts

Scientists in the United States have found newborn mice can re-grow their own hearts. There’s no reason to believe that the same window would not exist in the human heart.

bigthinkeditor

Scientists in the United States have found newborn mice can re-grow their own hearts. The mice had a large chunk of their heart removed a day after birth, only for the heart to restore itself within three weeks. Fish and amphibians are known to have the power to re-grow heart tissue, but the study in Science is the first time the process has been seen in mammals. The study suggests mammals also have such capacity for self-repair, if only for a limited time after birth. There’s no reason to believe that the same window would not exist in the human heart.

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7 min

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with

Laurie Santos

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