Groundbreaking Discovery: Human Heart Can Regenerate Muscle Cells Post-Heart Attack

In a groundbreaking study, Australian scientists have discovered that the human heart can regenerate muscle cells after a heart attack, a phenomenon previously only seen in mice. This finding, published in Circulation Research, suggests that while some heart tissue may remain scarred, new muscle cells can form, offering hope for future regenerative therapies for heart failure. Researchers aim to develop treatments that enhance the heart's natural ability to heal itself, potentially reversing the damage caused by heart attacks. This discovery could revolutionize approaches to cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death globally.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 20, 2026, 15:31 IST

Revolutionary Findings in Heart Regeneration

New Delhi, Jan 20: In a pioneering discovery, researchers in Australia have revealed that the human heart possesses the ability to regenerate muscle cells following a heart attack, offering new hope for regenerative therapies aimed at treating heart failure.

The findings, published in the journal Circulation Research, indicate that while certain areas of the heart may remain scarred after an attack, new muscle cells can also form. This remarkable phenomenon, previously observed only in mice, has now been confirmed in humans for the first time, according to reports from a news agency.

Robert Hume, a research fellow at the University of Sydney and the study's lead author, stated, "Previously, it was believed that heart cells that die during a heart attack resulted in irreversible damage, compromising the heart's ability to effectively pump blood to vital organs."

Hume, who also leads translational research at the Baird Institute for Applied Heart and Lung Research in Australia, expressed optimism about developing therapies that could enhance the heart's innate capacity to generate new cells and facilitate recovery after an attack.

While increased cell division (mitosis) following a heart attack has been documented in mouse heart tissue, this study marks the first instance of such regeneration being observed in human subjects.

The research team achieved this breakthrough by analyzing living heart tissue samples from patients undergoing bypass surgery at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia.

Professor Sean Lal, the senior author of the study and a cardiologist specializing in heart failure at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, emphasized that the ultimate aim is to leverage this discovery to create new heart cells capable of reversing heart failure.

Cardiovascular diseases continue to be the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with heart attacks potentially destroying up to one-third of the heart's cells. Researchers believe this discovery lays a promising foundation for innovative regenerative medicine.