Tzu-Lun Tseng
Unlike humans, some animals are able to regenerate cardiac tissue after major injuries, yet how this kind of regeneration occurs is still unclear. Macrophages play multiple and indispensable roles in regeneration to keep the regeneration processes under control. Despite their importance in this process, there is a knowledge gap in the categorization of the function and roles of each macrophage cluster. To date, only broad outlines of the polarization of macrophages has been reported.
Thus, to decipher the exact role that these macrophages play in cardiac regeneration, I aim to identify the different sub-clusters of macrophages by their transcriptomic identity and further illustrate the functions and roles of each macrophage cluster involved in cardiac regeneration, which would be best addressed with the zebrafish model. Understanding how and why macrophages behave the way they do during these processes may help us develop potential treatments for cardiovascular diseases.