Cardiac tissue regeneration pathways

Cardiac tissue regeneration pathways encompass a complex network of signaling cascades—most notably Hippo-YAP, Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and Neuregulin-1/ErbB4—that orchestrate the growth, maturation, and proliferative capacity of cardiomyocytes (Zhao et al., 2020). While the neonatal mammalian heart possesses a transient window of regenerative potential, adult hearts primarily respond to injury through fibrosis and pathological remodeling rather than myocyte replacement (Tzahor and Poss, 2017). Research in this field focuses on pharmacologically or genetically modulating these pathways to induce cardiomyocyte cell cycle re-entry, thereby restoring functional contractile tissue after myocardial infarction or in chronic heart failure (Sadek and Olson, 2020). Current therapeutic candidates, such as Neuregulin-1 analogs (e.g., Cimaglermin alfa), attempt to trigger these regenerative responses, though they must overcome significant challenges regarding delivery specificity and the inherent risk of oncogenic transformation associated with mitogenic signaling (Yoo et al., 2022). Monitoring efficacy in this space often involves tracking cell cycle markers like Ki-67 or Aurora B kinase alongside traditional cardiac function metrics (Liu et al., 2021).

Other names

Heart regeneration signalingMyocardial regeneration pathwaysCardiomyocyte proliferation pathways

Activation of endogenous cardiomyocyte proliferation and inhibition of fibrotic scarring through the modulation of developmental signaling cascades such as Hippo, Wnt, and Neuregulin-1.