REGENZEBRA · Molecular and cellular bases of heart regeneration in the zebrafish
FP6 — Marie Curie Actions (Human Resources and Mobility)
- Duration
- 2007-03-01 → 2009-02-28
- EU contribution
- €80,000
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- EIF
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Results in brief
Final Activity Report Summary - REGENZEBRA (Molecular and cellular bases of heart regeneration in the zebrafish)
The minimal ability of the adult human heart to regenerate lost or damaged cardiomyocytes has led to an intense effort to develop myocardial replacement therapies. New cardiomyocytes could be generated from pluripotent stem cells, such as human embryonic stem (hES) cells, and more recently, human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. However, this possibility is hampered by the facts that current protocols of directed differentiation are highly inefficient and only give rise to immature cardiomyocytes. The zebrafish, in turn, displays a remarkable ability to regenerate extensive portions of the heart after amputation. In this process, potent signals that induce cardiomyocyte proliferation and maturation are generated, which are beginning to be unravelled by our laboratory and others.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Regeneration is a complex biological process by which animals restore the shape, structure, and function of body parts lost to injury or experimentally amputated. Only a few vertebrate species retain a significant regenerative capacity during adulthood. With respect to the heart, the extraordinary ability of newts to regenerate significant sections of the heart has been known for over 30 years.However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely unexplored, most probably owing to the intrinsic experimental difficulties and relative lack of genetic tools in this model system. Recently, it has been shown that adult zebrafish also display a remarkable ability to regenerate extensive portions of the heart after amputation.In this project, we propose to take advantage of the powerful tools of genetic manipulation, genomic analysis, in vivo imaging, and reverse-genetics mutagenesis screenings available in the zebrafish, to undertake the following specific aims:1) to identify and characterize the molecular mechanisms associated with the regenerative response of the zebrafish heart;2) to characterize the changes in cell behavior dynamics associated with zebrafish heart regeneration;3) to identify novel genes required for regeneration in the zebrafish.We feel confident that detailed analyses of zebrafish heart regeneration, such as the one proposed herein, in addition to bolstering our understanding of this fascinating biological phenomenon, will provide valuable clues for the implementation of strategies of regenerative medicine.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- CENTRE DE MEDICINA REGENERATIVA DE BARCELONA · BARCELONACoordinatorCity levelSpain
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union