Sean Lal

Stories

Human heart can regrow muscle after heart attack, first study shows

As of September 2026: Professor at University of Sydney School of Medical Sciences; cardiologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Medical textbooks have long said the adult human heart cannot repair itself. Researchers at the University of Sydney, the Baird Institute, and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital have now shown, for the first time in humans, that heart muscle cells regrow after a heart attack.

Updated Sep 11

Notable Quotes

"Ultimately, the goal is to use this discovery to make new heart cells that can reverse heart failure."

from Human heart can regrow muscle after heart attack, first study shows · Updated Sep 11

"Already, our research using these samples has identified several proteins that have previously been shown to be involved in the regeneration of the heart in mice — which is a very exciting prospect to now translate to humans."

from Human heart can regrow muscle after heart attack, first study shows · Updated Sep 11