3-D human heart pacemaker tissue
Reverse Tissue-Manufacturing of the Multicellular Sinoatrial Node Organoids
This project will create three-dimensional human pacemaker tissue to mimic the heart's natural rhythm control for people with sinoatrial node dysfunction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310715 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will build multicellular, 3-D organoids that reproduce the human sinoatrial (SA) node's tissue structure and insulated architecture using human-derived cells. The organoids will include diverse pacemaker and conduction cell types and redundant pacemaker sites to model automaticity and conduction pathways. The team will test rhythm generation and long-term stability compared with current single-cell pacemaker models, including integration in living systems. The work is designed to produce a lab model that better reflects how human hearts start and maintain normal rhythm.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with sinoatrial node dysfunction, symptomatic bradycardia, or other disorders of the heart's natural pacemaker are the types of patients who could ultimately benefit.
Not a fit: Patients with unrelated cardiac problems (for example isolated valve disease) or healthy individuals are unlikely to benefit directly from this laboratory-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable more natural biological pacemakers and improved treatments for heart rhythm disorders caused by SA node dysfunction.
How similar studies have performed: Prior single-cell-type biological pacemakers have shown limited stability in vivo over about a month, so this multicellular organoid approach is novel and not yet proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Park, Sung Jin — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Park, Sung Jin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.