Cardiac regeneration
Myocardial regeneration is restricted to early postnatal life, when mammalian cardiomyocytes still retain the ability to proliferate. The molecular cues that induce cell cycle arrest of neonatal cardiomyocytes towards terminally differentiated adult heart muscle cells remain obscure.
Here we report that the miR-106b∼25 cluster is higher expressed in the early postnatal myocardium and decreases in expression towards adulthood, especially under conditions of overload, and orchestrates the transition of cardiomyocyte hyperplasia towards cell cycle arrest and hypertrophy by virtue of its targetome. In line, gene delivery of miR-106b∼25 to the mouse heart provokes cardiomyocyte proliferation by targeting a network of negative cell cycle regulators including E2f5, Cdkn1c, Ccne1 and Wee1. Conversely, gene-targeted miR-106b∼25 null mice display spontaneous hypertrophic remodeling and exaggerated remodeling to overload by derepression of the prohypertrophic transcription factors Hand2 and Mef2d.
Taking advantage of the regulatory function of miR-106b∼25 on cardiomyocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy, viral gene delivery of miR-106b∼25 provokes nearly complete regeneration of the adult myocardium after ischemic injury. Our data demonstrate that exploitation of conserved molecular programs can enhance the regenerative capacity of the injured heart.
Also read
-
MaaSec – The Netherlands' Only Active ACM Student Chapter captures the flag
In January, a group of Computer Science students at Maastricht University launched MaaSec, currently the only active ACM student chapter in the Netherlands. And in just a few months, they've already made a name for themselves; especially in the world of Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions.
-
Publication of the National Vision on Sustainable Carbon in the Chemical Industry
On April 22, the National Vision on Sustainable Carbon in the Chemical Industry was published for public consultation.
-
Municipality of Heerlen, Parkstad Urban Region and UM invest 6 million in collaboration
Heerlen grants a one-time contribution of €1,478,050 to Maastricht University as part of the Regio Deal application ‘Fundament onder UM-onderwijs in Heerlen’. This amount comes from the Fonds Economische Structuurversterking (FES). The funding will help establish university education facilities in...
