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Axolotls photographed in a UK animal research establishment in October 2007. Research on the embryonic heart of the axolotl has implications for the millions of people worldwide who suffer heart attacks. Please acknowledge © Understanding Animal Research.

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Axolotls are Mexican salamanders which look like large tadpoles with four legs and a necklace of feathery gills. Salamanders have long been the subjects of biological study because they are among the rare vertebrates that can replace lost limbs and successfully regenerate nerves. The embryonic heart of the axolotl also interests cardiology researchers, who remove tiny specks of tissue that are destined to form the heart from 3 or 4-day-old embryos. By placing these specks of tissue in a salt solution and adding various growth factors, researchers make it possible for these cells to divide, develop into fully-fledged heart cells, and start to beat. The study of these cells has important implications for the millions of people worldwide who suffer heart attacks.