Cardiac Regeneration

This project aims to investigate methods for enhancing the ability of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to repair the injured heart.

In previous study(Nature 2014), we have shown the feasibility of using stem cell-derived heart muscle for regenerating the heart following a myocardial infarction.

However, several hurdles to the clinical translation of this promising strategy were highlighted. These included the development of potentially fatal arrhythmias and low engraftment rates (~10%) of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes after delivery to the injured heart.

We are now working to overcome these hurdles and to help drive this technology towards human trials.

Infarct Scar Mechanics

The limited regenerative capabilities of the heart results in the remodelling of the cardiac extracellular matrix into fibrotic scar tissue following a myocardial infarction. This scar tissue is significantly weaker the healthy matrix it replaces and can significantly affect the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively.

We are currently researching the mechanisms that underpin the remodelling process, in particular, the role of platelet-derived growth factor as a driver of cardiac repair. Our recent publication in Science Translational Medicine showcases some of the tools we are using to investigate this.