Formation of new cardiomyocytes in exercise

Abstract

Heart failure is a life-threatening disorder associated with the loss of cardiomyocytes. The heart has some endogenous although limited regenerative capacity, thus enhancing cardiac regeneration or stimulating endogenous repair mechanism after cardiac injury is of great interest. The benefits of exercise in heart diseases have been recognized for centuries. Besides the promotion of a favorable cardiac function, exercise is also associated with new cardiomyocytes formation. Exercise may lead to cardiomyocytes renewal from pre-existing cardiomyocytes proliferation or cardiac stem/progenitor cells differentiation. A deep understanding of exercise-induced formation of new cardiomyocytes will enable us to develop novel therapeutics for heart diseases.