Characterising immune cell populations in the regenerating zebrafish heart


Published March 6, 2023

Euro-BioImaging is organizing an online User Forum on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 14:00-17:00 CET. The topic is “Cardiovascular research.” This event will highlight the importance of cutting-edge imaging technologies in support of cardiovascular health, disease, diagnostics and the development of therapies. We will showcase the specific expertise available at our Nodes across Europe through case studies presented in tandem with the research community.

At this event, Dr Rebecca Richardson, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol will outline the different imaging techniques her group uses to define, track and map different immune cell populations in the adult regenerating heart (full abstract below).

Hear this talk and others like it on March 21 at the Euro-BioImaging User Forum: Cardiovascular Research.

REGISTER

FULL PROGRAM

Abstract:

Zebrafish are recognised as an excellent model in which to study development, gene function and tissue regeneration. They have a remarkable ability to naturally regenerate damaged tissues such as the heart and, due to other advantages such as fecundity and ease of genome manipulation (e.g. via CRISPR/Cas technology), they have also become a valued model for studying gene function and for drug screening and discovery. Cardiovascular disease in humans, including acute damage caused by a myocardial infarction, remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Studies in zebrafish are providing crucial new understanding of the mechanisms driving post-injury repair and regeneration.

Adult zebrafish exhibit similar initial cardiac repair mechanisms to those observed in mammals, including inflammation and scar deposition, but over time they completely regenerate the damaged tissue, replacing cardiomyocytes and resolving deposited scar tissue. We are interested in the inflammatory populations that mediate these repair and regeneration mechanisms. Macrophages are known to be crucial for promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation and scar resolution, but we do not fully understand the roles of individual subtypes. In her talk, Rebecca Richardson will outline the different imaging techniques her group uses to define, track and map different immune cell populations in the adult regenerating heart.


More news from Euro-BioImaging

Successful Event proposals

August 1, 2025

Congratulations to the successful applicants in the EVOLVE Call for Event Proposals!

Within the framework of the EVOLVE Project, Euro-BioImaging aims to raise awareness of imaging technologies, international collaboration, and Euro-BioImaging overall at Nodes’ hosting institutions. …

Silvina prepares her samples at EMBL’s EMCF. Photo Mandy Boermel, Scientific Officer 

July 31, 2025

High-end Electron Microscopy to look at Extremophiles

The Euro-BioImaging EMBL Node is happy to welcome Fátima Silvina Galván, a researcher at the Laboratorio de Microbiología Ultraestructural y Molecular del Centro Integral…

July 31, 2025

Connecting Imaging Minds Worldwide: Euro-BioImaging Image Data Community Days 2025

The first-ever Euro-BioImaging Image Data Community Days, held online from April 7–11, 2025, concluded with resounding success, providing a dynamic platform for participants to…