Harnessing the natural regenerative properties of the heart to repair damage after injury

Epicardial activation and signalling during cardiovascular repair: comparing regenerative and non-regenerative models- programme extension (renewal)

The epicardium is the outside layer of the heart. It is made up of cells that are essential for normal heart development. If these cells could be switched on in adults who have sustained a heart injury, it may be possible to encourage heart muscle repair and restore lost blood vessels. Professor Paul Riley has been studying these cells for many years to try to improve the regenerative ability of the heart, and is now extending this work to look at how specific molecules within the epicardium cells could control heart regeneration. He plans to study this in two different types of animals – adult zebrafish and newborn mice – which are able to naturally regenerate their hearts after injury. The team hope to identify common molecules that are really important for ensuring repair of the heart in these animals, as these molecules are also likely to be important in adult human hearts, which cannot ordinarily regenerate. They are particularly interested to understand how cells in the epicardium produce molecules in response to low levels of oxygen, such as following heart injury. They want to see whether this response could be harnessed to reactivate epicardial cells in people after heart damage. Ultimately, the hope is to identify molecules that, if targeted with drugs, could promote natural heart repair in people who have had a heart attack.