Adrenergic-Thyroid Hormone Interactions Drive Postnatal Thermogenesis and Loss of Mammalian Heart Regenerative Capacity


Why can’t adult human hearts regenerate after injury like a heart attack? The Huang lab recently presented findings in Circulation to support that loss of cardiac regenerative capacity may be a tradeoff for us to be warm-blooded, and now identified the second major thermogenic pathway that is responsible. Mice with suppression of two neurohormonal pathways show stunningly low body temperature (~25 celsius) and remarkable cardiac regenerative potential. This work advances our understanding of the physiological factors that drive the loss of organ regenerative potential in mammals.

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