Investigation of the roles of GATA4 and its target genes in cardiac differentiation of iPS Cells (Ms Nicola Graham)
The formation of the heart in the embryo requires a complex group of genes being switched on and off at exactly the right moment, and for exactly the right amount of time. When this goes wrong in some way, congenital heart defects can develop, which affect 12 newborns each day in the UK. Dr Branko Latinkic and his team of researchers at Cardiff University are trying to understand how heart development begins in the embryo, and how it can go wrong. Painstaking research by scientists around the world has deciphered many of the molecular steps needed to create a human heart, but the very earliest steps are still unclear. How is a stem cell, with the potential to turn into any kind of human cell, instructed to become part of the heart? This project aims to uncover clues to the answer, focusing on the roles of two genes that are known to be involved: tbx2 and prdm1. Studying the earliest molecular steps in human stem cells that have been made in the lab, and in frog embryos, they hope to shed light on the first stages of heart development. This information could help us understanding how congenital heart defects occur, and how they might be prevented.
Project details
| Grant amount | £128,593 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | PhD Studentship |
| Start Date | 01 October 2018 |
| Duration | 3 years, 6 months |
| Reference | FS/18/42/33827 |
| Status | In Progress |
