Thanks to advances in the development of the first patented human-like artificial heart created in Michigan, researchers can now study human heart development and congenital heart disease in highly accurate models. Ta. This will accelerate the development of new treatments and medicines to treat a variety of heart-related diseases, in time for American Heart Month in February.

These mini-heart organoids, which are similar in size and development to human fetal hearts, are becoming increasingly complex and realistic. His MSU research team, which created the mini-heart, first published its findings in 2020. They have quickly become world leaders in this field, and their latest advancements include nature communications and stem cell report.

Aitor Aguirre, associate professor of biomedical engineering and head of the Department of Developmental and Stem Cell Biology in the MSU Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, is committed to discovering effective, clinically applicable solutions to cardiovascular disease. explained that it is essential to introduce a realistic model. . An estimated 21 million people die each year related to this disease, which includes heart and vascular disease. And the number continues to grow.

“While 90% of cardiovascular disease is considered preventable, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in developed countries,” Aguirre said. “Thanks to advances in stem cell technology and bioengineering, we can grow and study the human heart. This will help us understand disease mechanisms and treat heart disease and congenital diseases. and revolutionize the medical approach to prevention.”

“In the future, we expect fewer patients to need treatment, and for those who do, it will take less time to develop new drugs,” he added. “For birth defects in particular, prevention is the best solution. This is why mini heart organoids can truly change the way we approach medicine.”

As an example, Aguirre explained that pharmaceutical companies would pull a drug from the market if it was found to cause cardiotoxicity. Predicting toxicity in advance can save money and time and reduce the risk of drug failure.

Mini cardiac organoids are developed using pluripotent stem cells donated from adults. Their cellular complexity and physiological relevance make it possible to study human heart development and disease in a dish at a level never seen before.

“We created a model using these organoids to study the effects of maternal diabetes on all stages of fetal heart development,” Aguirre said. “This is the definition of precision medicine. We can use science to make clinical practice more precise.”