Understanding Heart Scarring Using Patient Stem Cells
Elucidating Mechanism of Cardiac Fibrosis with Cell Village of Pooled Human iPSCs
This project uses stem cells from many patients to better understand why heart scarring happens and to find new medicines to treat it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11083773 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We are creating 'cell villages' by combining stem cells from healthy individuals and patients with heart muscle disease in a dish. These cell villages will then be grown into tiny 3D heart tissues, allowing us to see how different people's cells react to conditions that cause scarring. By studying these tissues at a very detailed level, we hope to uncover the genetic reasons behind heart scarring and identify new drug candidates that could prevent or reverse this condition.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational research uses donated stem cells from individuals with dilated cardiomyopathy and healthy donors to create models, rather than recruiting patients for direct intervention.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical intervention will not benefit from this early-stage laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to the development of the first FDA-approved drugs specifically designed to treat cardiac fibrosis, improving outcomes for patients with heart failure.
How similar studies have performed: While the use of patient-specific iPSC lines to create 3D heart tissues is an established technique, this novel 'cell village' multiplexing approach for high-throughput drug discovery is innovative and largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wu, Joseph C. — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Wu, Joseph C.
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.