Turning Potential Into Action: Using Pluripotent Stem Cells to Understand Heart Development and Function in Health and Disease.
Pluripotent stem cells hold enormous potential for regenerative therapies, however their ability to provide insight into early human development and the origins of disease could arguably provide an even greater outcome. This is primarily due to their contribution to the establishment of a powerful knowledge base of human development, something which all researchers and clinicians can potentially benefit from. Modeling human heart development and disease using pluripotent stem cells has already provided many important insights into cardiogenesis and cardiovascular disease mechanisms however, it is important to be aware of the complexities of this model system. Thorough contemplation of experimental models and specialized techniques is required to provide high-quality evidence of the intricacies of both normal early development, and when this process goes awry in disease states. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2017;6:1452-1457.
Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Division, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Sydney, Australia.
Hananeh
H
Fonoudi
Griffith University School of Medicine, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Alexis
0000-0002-2637-6474
A
Bosman
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D057026:Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical