Lessons for cardiac regeneration from non-mammalian model organisms

Unlike mammals, certain non-mammalian species - such as amphibians and teleost fish - can regenerate their hearts after severe damage. Investigating non-mammalian heart regeneration could provide strategies to reactivate regenerative mechanisms in adult human hearts, potentially reducing morbidity and mortality related to heart failure. This review offers an overview of key findings from earlier studies using amphibian models and highlights recent advances from teleost fish, with a particular focus on signaling pathways, enhancers, and transcription factors that regulate the endogenous mechanisms of cardiac regeneration.