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. 2022 May 27;136(10):787-798.
doi: 10.1042/CS20211116.

Visualization of regenerating and repairing hearts

Nevan Powers  1   2 , Guo N Huang  1   2
Affiliations

Visualization of regenerating and repairing hearts

Nevan Powers et al. Clin Sci (Lond). .

Abstract

With heart failure continuing to become more prevalent, investigating the mechanisms of heart injury and repair holds much incentive. In contrast with adult mammals, other organisms such as teleost fish, urodele amphibians, and even neonatal mammals are capable of robust cardiac regeneration to replenish lost or damaged myocardial tissue. Long-term high-resolution intravital imaging of the behaviors and interactions of different cardiac cell types in their native environment could yield unprecedented insights into heart regeneration and repair. However, this task remains challenging for the heart due to its rhythmic contraction and anatomical location. Here, we summarize recent advances in live imaging of heart regeneration and repair, discuss the advantages and limitations of current systems, and suggest future directions for novel imaging technology development.

Keywords: imaging techniques; model organisms; myocardial infarction; regeneration; stem cell therapy; wound healing.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Schematic illustrations of current live imaging modalities. (A) Heartbeat-synchronized light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) of whole larval zebrafish. (B) Culturing of whole adult zebrafish heart explants in microfluidic perfusion chambers. (C) Culturing of adult zebrafish myocardial slices. (D) 3D-printed perfusion chamber to house adult zebrafish during MRI. (E) Luciferin injection and bioluminescence of luciferase-expressing cardiac tissue in adult zebrafish and rodents. (F) Open-chest confocal microscopy of the mechanically stabilized rodent heart. (G) Positron emission tomography and computerized tomography of large mammals. (H) Echocardiography of the human infant.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Advantages and limitations of current live imaging modalities across model organisms.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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