These stained cells are epicardial cells that have been grown from human embryonic stem cells in the lab. The ability to grow this type of heart cell is an important step toward the development of lab-grown heart tissue. (Photo credit: Alec Witty)
For the first time, researchers have grown a type of heart cell called an epicardial cell from stem cells in the lab, an accomplishment that could help in developing new treatments for heart disease.
Epciardial cells form a protective membrane around the adult heart, and during fetal life provide a source of specialized structural cells essential for development and function of the heart. While heart muscle cells have been grown from stem cells before, until now the guiding signals needed to turn stem cells into epicardial cells were unknown.
Researchers are closer to producing functional heart tissue using engineering or 3D printing strategies now that both cell types can be grown. Such tissue could be used to study heart disease, test new drugs and perhaps one day be transplanted into patients to repair damaged hearts.
Original research paper published in the journal Nature Biotechnology on September 21, 2014.
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