Does expansion in vitro alter the ability of cardiac progenitor cells to differentiate into cardiomyocytes that have the substrate and energy metabolism of the adult heart?
Currently, we cannot repair damaged heart tissue, such as after a heart attack, which means the heart doesn’t work as effectively. This can lead to heart failure – a potentially debilitating condition that affects over 750,000 people in the UK. Research investigating cells to replace damaged heart tissue could reveal new ways to repair damaged hearts. During a heart attack, blood flow to the heart is cut off and cells in that region die and form a scar. Stem cells could repair the damage by replacing the scar tissue, and scientists can grow the large number of cells needed in the lab. Stem cells are unspecialised cells which can keep dividing and have the ability to become specialised, e.g. becoming a heart cell. However, stem cells grown in a lab dish are different to heart cells in terms of how they use nutrients to grow, multiply and function. Dr Carolyn Carr and colleagues have been awarded a grant to study stem cells grown in the lab. They will find out if they can change their metabolism and the nutrients they use to become fully mature heart cells, capable of generating enough energy to beat as hard as the rest of the cells in the heart when they are transplanted. This work could reveal ways to expand cells from tissue samples and turn them into functioning beating heart cells to repair damaged heart tissue.
Project details
| Grant amount | £284,449 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 July 2013 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/13/34/30216 |
| Status | Complete |
