Human embryonic stem cell-derived epicardium to promote cardiac regeneration and remuscularisation
Recently, Cambridge researchers found that using stem cells to repair damaged hearts works better when the stem cells are transplanted along with another tissue type. In this project, they will try to find out why. Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is too weak to pump blood around the body and is often caused by death of parts of the heart following a heart attack. It affects hundreds of thousands of people in the UK who are left breathless and exhausted with shortened lives. Using stem cells to make new heart tissue is a promising approach to regenerating damaged hearts and preventing heart failure, but so far scientists have faced many challenges. For example, cells transplanted into the heart often don’t function properly and don’t survive well. Dr Sinha and his research team have shown that heart muscle generated from stem cells develops and works best when it closely interacts with another heart tissue called epicardium. In rats they saw that the muscle cells survive and repair heart damage better if epicardium grown from stem cells is also added at the time of tissue transplant. This project will now investigate why epicardium has these beneficial properties for heart regeneration, and the findings could eventually lead to better treatments for people who have heart failure.
Project details
| Grant amount | £993,735 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | Senior Clinical Research Fellowship |
| Start Date | 01 August 2018 |
| Duration | 5 years |
| Reference | FS/18/46/33663 |
| Status | In Progress |
