Jayne asks how we discovered that the zebrafish could regenerate its heart

Hi Jayne,

Thanks for your question.

How did you discover that the zebrafish could regenerate its heart? Thanks Jayne for your supportive comments. Good question about the zebrafish! But actually it’s not just fish that can do this – other vertebrates such as some frogs and axolotls can do the trick too. In fact axolotls can even regenerate entire limbs. What we need to find out is why humans can’t do it. Or – as one of our scientists puts it – “how we can make a human more like a fish”! The great thing about zebrafish is that when they’re young they’re see-through, so you can see their hearts and see how their hearts grow and develop.