A group of scientists from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany have managed to create beating heart tissue from human stem cells. This important breakthrough will help researchers learn more about conditions that affect the heart and will make drug testing much easier.

The research team grew engineered tissue that could be used as a model of a human atrium (upper chamber). The tissue was grown using cardiomyocytes (heart cells) that were produced from stem cells.

They have been developing the technique for over a decade, initially perfecting the technique in animal trials. In 2011, they began using human stem cells to create cardiomyocytes with the goal of someday creating beating heart tissue.

The researchers recently published their findings in the journal Stem Cell Reports, describing how the 3D heart tissue could respond to drugs, express genes and beat in  similar way to a real heart.

To create their functional cardiomyocytes, they treated human stem cells with vitamin A metabolite, a substance that causes the cells to change into cardiomyocytes. They then created strips of cardiomyocytes in petri dishes, so they could be used for experiments.

The primary use of these human heart muscle strips will be to test new drugs that treat heart conditions or have side effects that affect the heart. This will result in drugs that are safer and more effective.

They can also be used to analyse diseases that affect the heart to find their root cause. Another benefit of using this technology is that results will be much more accurate compared to animal models.

One of the conditions that could be cured thanks to this new technology is atrial fibrillation.  This condition causes an irregular heartbeat and greatly increases the risk of both stroke and heart failure.

Source: Scientists Grow Beating Human Heart Tissue from Stem Cells

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