BACKGROUND:

Cardiomyocytes in the adult human heart show a regenerative capacity, with an annual renewal rate of ≈0.5%. Whether this regenerative capacity of human cardiomyocytes is employed in heart failure has been controversial.

METHODS:

We determined cardiomyocyte renewal in 52 patients with advanced heart failure, 28 of whom received left ventricular assist device support. We measured the concentration of nuclear bomb test–derived ¹⁴C in cardiomyocyte genomic DNA and performed mathematical modeling to establish cardiomyocyte renewal in heart failure with and without LVAD unloading.

RESULTS:

We show that cardiomyocyte generation is minimal in end-stage heart failure patients at rates 18 to 50× lower compared with the healthy heart. However, patients receiving left ventricle support device therapy, who showed significant functional and structural cardiac improvement, had a >6-fold increase in cardiomyocyte renewal relative to the healthy heart.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings reveal a substantial cardiomyocyte regeneration potential in human heart disease, which could be exploited therapeutically.