Scientists find the human heart can regrow after a heart attack

For decades, the prevailing view in cardiology has been that the adult human heart cannot replace muscle cells once they are lost—making damage from a heart attack largely permanent. But a new study out of Australia is challenging that long-standing belief, reporting that the heart may have a limited ability to regenerate after injury.

Researchers found evidence that, after a heart attack, the human heart can produce new cardiomyocytes—specialized muscle cells responsible for pumping blood. While the heart still develops scar tissue, the study suggests there is also a measurable renewal process occurring alongside the damage. The findings were published in Circulation Research through the American Heart Association’s journal platform.

The research is drawing attention because even small amounts of regeneration could open doors to new therapies—especially for people at risk of heart failure after a major cardiac event. Coverage of the study notes that heart attacks can destroy a significant share of heart cells, leaving patients with long-term weakness in heart function.

Outside the study itself, scientists globally have been pushing toward treatments that help hearts recover rather than only preventing further damage. Institutions like MIT have also explored repair-focused approaches such as drug-delivery patches designed to support healing after heart attacks, underscoring how quickly regenerative medicine is advancing.

The Australian findings add momentum to a research area that continues to evolve, with experts investigating gene pathways and cellular mechanisms that might strengthen the heart’s natural repair response. Even if the regeneration observed remains limited, the discovery may reshape how scientists think about recovery after heart attacks—and what treatments could eventually make damaged hearts stronger again.