How the heart's outer layer helps heart muscle cells grow and work
Epicardial regulation of cardiomyocyte function via modulation of extracellular signals: toward a model of human muscle pump function
This project builds a 3D human heart tissue that includes the heart's outer layer to help lab-grown heart muscle cells mature and function more like real heart muscle, which could help people with damaged hearts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11110357 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are creating a layered, 3D-printed piece of human heart tissue using patient-like stem cells to make both heart muscle cells and epicardial (outer layer) cells. The design lets epicardial cells change shape and move into the tissue, where they add supporting cells and release signals that encourage muscle cells to multiply and mature. The team will monitor how cells interact, how the surrounding matrix is remodeled, and how those changes affect tissue thickness, strength, and pumping behavior. The aim is to identify the signals and structures needed to make lab-grown heart tissue act more like human heart muscle.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with weakened heart muscle, heart failure, prior heart attack, or inherited cardiomyopathies would be the most likely patients to benefit or be future candidates for therapies developed from this work.
Not a fit: People with non-muscle cardiac problems or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to see direct benefits from this lab-focused research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could produce better lab models of human heart disease and speed development of new therapies or implantable heart tissue for people with heart damage.
How similar studies have performed: Related tissue-engineering work has shown partial success in maturing stem-cell-derived heart cells and building thicker tissues, but adding a functional epicardial layer in a 3D-printed human model is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ogle, Brenda M — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Ogle, Brenda M
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.