Cardiomyocyte renewal in the human heart: insights from the fall-out.

Lázár, Eniko; Sadek, Hesham A; Bergmann, Olaf · Eur Heart J · 2017

review · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

The capacity of the mammalian heart to regenerate cardiomyocytes has been debated over the last decades. However, limitations in existing techniques to track and identify nascent cardiomyocytes have often led to inconsistent results. Radiocarbon (14C) birth dating, in combination with other quantitative strategies, allows to establish the number and age of human cardiomyocytes, making it possible to describe their age distribution and turnover dynamics. Accurate estimates of cardiomyocyte generation in the adult heart can provide the foundation for novel regenerative strategies that aim to stimulate cardiomyocyte renewal in various cardiac pathologies.

Medical subject headings