The inability of the adult heart to repair or regenerate is manifested in prevalent morbidity and mortality related to myocardial infarction and heart failure. Cardiomyocyte proliferation, especially after myocardial infarction or in the context of heart failure, has been an area of intense research by many investigators for decades. As a researcher working in this area for the past 25 years, this has been an exciting time, requiring an open mind in leaving old accepted ideas behind and moving forward towards exploiting this new knowledge of cardiomyocyte plasticity.
Keywords: adult; animal; developmental biology; heart failure; regeneration.