Genes That Help Fish Heal Damaged Hearts Also Found in Humans

Doctors have attributed some species’ ability to heal their own hearts to some genes found among fish and humans. Researchers have long known that some species have the unique ability to regenerate their injured hearts. In a recent study, scientists identified two genes in some species of fish that give them this ability. A team of scientists from the University of Oxford found that river-dwelling Mexican tetra fish show the ability to repair their hearts after damage. The team observed that following a heart injury, the genes lrrc10 and caveolin become more active in these fish. The team proved the link between the genes and self-regeneration of the heart by conducting another experiment using zebrafish. These fish species, which also have the two genes, can also heal their own hearts. The scientists shut down the lrrc10 gene to see how the zebrafish would be affected. They observed that after sustaining injuries, the zebrafish developed scars on their heart instead of regenerating it. The two genes that help zebrafish and Mexican tetra fish regenerate their hearts are also present in humans. However, the genes do not help heal injured human hearts. In the event of a heart attack, human hearts are damaged and scarred instead of being healed. Scars make it difficult for the heart to pump blood, so heart attack survivors usually need to undergo a heart transplant. However, the research suggests that altering the two genes might also lead to self-regenerating hearts among humans. More research is also needed to find other genes that may play a role in giving the heart self-regenerating abilities.