Int. J. Dev. Biol. 62: 383 - 386 (2018)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.180088fs

Vol 62, Issue 6-7-8

Special Issue: Regeneration

Can broken hearts be mended? Ken Poss, a pioneer on heart regeneration research

Open Access | Interview | Published: 21 June 2018

Nadia Mercader*^,1 and Florenci Serras*^,2

¹Institute of Anatomy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland and ²Department of Genetics, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

In 2002, Ken Poss discovered that zebrafish, at that time an emerging vertebrate model organism in basic research, were able to regenerate their heart upon resection of the ventricular apex. This finding set in motion a new field of research on heart regeneration, which has recently expanded in other model organisms including mammals. We interviewed Ken Poss to find out more about his motivation and vision for the future of tissue regeneration research.

Keywords

heart regeneration, cardiomyocyte, fin regeneration, progenitor cell, organ regeneration, zebrafish