Mending a Broken Heart

When a newt loses a limb, the limb regrows. What's more, a newt can also completely repair damage to its heart.

The heart of a red-spotted newt, Notophthalmus viridescens, an amphibian that comes from the wetlands of North America, can be completely repaired following damage.

Scientists are now decoding the cellular mechanisms involved in regenerating newt heart cells. The findings could contribute to new cell therapies for patients with damaged organs.

When a newt's heart sustains damage, its cells can lose their characteristic properties; they can dedifferentiate. The researchers were able to show that proteins typical of heart muscle cells were dramatically down-regulated in this process.

At the same time, the cells embark on massive cell division to build up new heart muscle. It takes around two weeks for the heart function to be restored in the newt. The data shows that at this point the expression of the muscle-specific proteins is again normal, meaning the cells have differentiated again, and have regained their characteristic properties.

---LiveScience Staff

• Amazing Images: Photos You Submit
• Image Galleries: Science All Around You
• Videos: Science and Nature in Action

Credit: Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research