ABSTRACT
Despite extensive efforts in cardiovascular disease (CVD) research, no cure has been developed to induce human cardiac regeneration after an injury caused by CVDs. In an effort to accelerate the development of a cure, this chapter outlines various animal models utilized in current CVD research as well as the pertinent methodologies devised to injure the animal models based on specific CVDs. Mammalian models are emphasized in this chapter due to numerous similarities to humans in anatomy, physiology, and genetics. Zebrafish models are also described due to their intrinsic capability to regenerate cardiac tissue, providing an intriguing model to understand the fundamentals of inherent regeneration. Lastly, this chapter provides an overview on the use of these animal models in research on specific CVDs, highlighting important findings as well as limitations to address in future research.
