An article in science daily references a journal from Nature 2013. This journal explores the part the gene Meis1 plays in regeneration of heart cells in mammals.Dr. Hesham Sadek observed that this gene is present in the heart cells after birth about when the heart tissue is finished dividing. This is why a heart cannot repair itself after damage caused by things like heart attacks. Through research with mice he discovered that if this gene is removed then the cells can continue to divide.
His research in mice verified that taking out the Meis1 gene, which is a transcription factor, prolongs the time in which newborn mice heart cells divide. When the Meis1 gene was taken out of adult mice the heart began regeneration processes which did not have any negative effects on cardiac function. This new discovery could possible steer research away from the controversial issue of stem cells.
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