biosights: February 15, 2016

Chipping away at the problems of cardiac stem cell therapy

Though stem cells transplanted into heart attack patients can develop into cardiomyocytes and integrate with undamaged host tissue, preclinical studies and clinical trials have only shown limited improvements in cardiac function. Using a simplified, in vitro, "muscle on-a-chip" system, Aratyn-Schaus et al. reveal that mechanical forces aren't transmitted efficiently between weaker, stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes and stronger, more mature host cells. This biosights episode presents the paper by Aratyn-Schaus et al. from the February 15th, 2016, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with one of the paper's co-first authors, Francesco Pasqualini (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. See the associated paper in JCB for details on the funding provided to support this original research.

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