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Luminous heart cells: Jellyfish proteins assist in heart rhythm disorder research

A molecular sensor makes the electrical activity of heart cells visible. Credit: Alessandra Moretti / TUM

A molecular sensor makes the electrical activity of heart cells visible.
Credit: Alessandra Moretti / TUM

Story by Technical University of Munich (TUM)

Cell models from stem cells serve an ever-increasing role in research of cardiac dysfunction. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have succeeded in producing cells which offer new insights into properties of the heart. They installed a molecular sensor into the cells which emits light, and not only makes the cells’ electrical activity visible, but also makes it possible for the first time to quickly identify cell types.

It has been possible to produce so-called induced pluripotent stem cells in the laboratory for the past ten years. These stem cells are derived from white blood cells, for example, and can be infinitely reproduced in the laboratory, and be turned into all possible types of cells. This has enabled the use of heart cells produced in this way in order to investigate cardiac rhythm dysfunctions, for example. Animal experiments are only of limited use for this application, and tissue samples cannot be easily taken from patients’ hearts. Cultivated heart cells, however, provide the opportunity to research such diseases in a ‘miniature’ format. Read More

Published by Science Daily September 2, 2016


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