National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR): The Essential Need for Animals in Medical Research
“Rodent research is creating an exciting horizon for cardiovascular disease treatment. Recent research with rats and mice has alerted scientists to the possibility of using growth factors (ref.21) and stem cells (ref. 22) to regenerate cardiac tissue after a heart attack. […] Human medicine would not be where it is today without the incredible contributions of these small yet mighty animals. […]
Ref. 21: D’Uva G, Aharonov A, Lauriola M, et al. Nat Cell Biol. 2015;17(5):627-38
Ref. 22: Ellison GM, Vicinanza C, Smith AJ, et al. Cell. 2013;154(4):827-42″
Three years ago, when I joined the lab of Prof. Eldad Tzahor, the emerging field of cardiac regeneration was totally obscure to me. My scientific track at that time was mainly focused on normal and cancer stem cells: cells that build our bodies during development and adulthood. The deregulation of these cells can lead to cancer. I have to admit that I didn’t know even the shape of a cardiac cell when my postdoc journey started… 
