Figure 5.

Proposed function and role of c-kit during heart embryonic development and adult cardiac regeneration. The available evidence portraits a dichotomy of c-kit role in these two processes despite the current hypothesis that cardiac regeneration resembles cardiac development. During development c-kit expression appears dispensable for complete heart formation despite c-kit deletion is incompatible with life. On the contrary, adult CSCs biology and myocardial regenerative potential requires and is dependent upon a diploid level of c-kit expression.