Question: What inspired you to find small vesicles to help regenerate the heart?

Cristina Villa del Campo answered on 9 Nov 2015:

Hi John,
Thanks for your question! So it turns out that the cells can communicate sending small vesicles, like packages between each other. That way the modify neighbouring cells’ behaviour. This has only been known very recently so it is a very exciting field to study since many things are not known.
Some cells in the heart can send this vesicles to the heart muscle and we want to try and see what is in these vesicles and if it can make the heart muscle divide when it has been damaged.
I think trying to regenerate the heart is always inspiring, there is so much work for us to do!