Dyeing Heart

In the moments after a heart attack, doctors race to supply oxygen to dying cardiomyocytes [heart cells], or risk scar tissue forming in the wound, weakening the heart. But what if we could encourage new heart tissue to grow after injury, healing wounds in a similar way to how the heart first develops in the womb? In this young mouse heart, scientists use genetic engineering to label cells in different fluorescent colours – then watch under a microscope as they grow and divide, 'painting' the heart as it develops. Colourful patterns emerge, allowing researchers to spot different types of growth. In amongst stem cells that aid early heart development, they found that a specific group of cardiomyocytes begin to divide to help with the construction. Examining genes inside these cells may hold clues to unlocking their healing power in adulthood.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Image from work by Konstantina-Ioanna Sereti, Ngoc B. Nguyen and Paniz Kamranl, and colleagues, UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center
• Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
• Image originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 4.0)
• Published in Nature Communications, February 2018