Abstract:

Notch signaling pathway participates in extensive cellular processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Notch plays a crucial role in cardiovascular development. Furthermore, Notch could be important for cardiac homeostasis regulation and tissue renewal by protecting the heart from an excessive and detrimental hypertrophic response and controlling the maintenance of stem cell pools. The paper emphatically reviews the current knowledge of the versartility of Notch signaling in fetal and postnatal development and finally, discusses the impact on maintenance of cardiac integrity and the potential for regenerative therapies.

Key words: Notch, cardiomyogenesis, regeneration, regulation