friend rather than enemy

The heart muscle contains two important types of cells. Cardiomyocytes, or beating heart cells, are responsible for generating the force needed to make the heart beat.

The second type is cardiac fibroblasts. They create and organize the matrix and therefore play an important role in restoring the structure of the cell. If they can control these two types of cells and guide them in the right direction, they can restore tissue tissue,” Mostert claims.

Mostert discovered that fibroblasts, which are abundant in the heart muscle after a heart attack, can be used to reconstitute tissue.

“Fibroblasts are often considered ‘bad cells,'” she says. When a heart attack occurs, many heart muscle cells die and are replaced by fibroblasts, which is undesirable. “But now we know that their presence isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Mostert says. “If we teach them the right way, they can actually help repair the tissue. In that case, they can become friends rather than enemies.”

young cells

Another important finding of her research is that the “age” of a cell influences its sensitivity.

“Typically, we use stem cells to grow functioning, beating heart cells over a period of 21 to 40 days,” she explains. “But as it turns out, this heart cell is less responsive to the environment.” She found that the 12-day-old cells were much more sensitive and still susceptible to cues. “There have been many attempts to insert cells into the heart, but they become unconnected to their environment and stop working. If we put young cells in there, it might work.”

She uses the analogy of a brick wall to illustrate her point. If there are holes in the wall, it is difficult to fill them with new bricks. This is because the brick is hard and must fit exactly into the hole. Therefore, it is recommended to use clay, since it is completely malleable and can easily adapt to the environment.

“We are now studying whether these young cells can better adhere and integrate into tissues, and whether this ultimately leads to tissue organization and restoration of function.”

two celebrations

Two major celebrations are planned for doctoral candidates this year. In addition to completing her Ph.D., she is also planning to get married soon.

“The last few years have been like an in-between phase for me, a comfortable place where I haven’t had to make any big life choices yet,” she says. Her marriage and submission of her thesis feel like a big step towards adulthood for her. Both open new doors and close others at the same time. “Sometimes I think it’s difficult, but most of the time it’s very rewarding.”

Source: Cursor (written by Martina Silbrníková).