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Posted on Feb 09, 2018, 11 a.m.
Researchers from Hiroshima University say that progenitor cells, which are undifferentiated cells that become specified later on, with exception to the right ventricle have been found for the heart’s components as published in Nature Communications.
Researchers from Hiroshima University say that progenitor cells, which are undifferentiated cells that become specified later on, with exception to the right ventricle have been found for the heart’s components as published in Nature Communications.
This discovery holds promise to a greater understanding of the mechanisms used during the development of the heart, advance heart regeneration therapies, and assist in the advancement of induction systems for cardiomyocytes for lab usage.
Two kinds of muscles cells compose the heart; special cardiomyocytes which are used in the heart’s conduction system, and working cardiomyocytes which are involved in the heart’s contraction. Individual components of the heart; the atria, outflow tract, sinus venosus, and left and rights ventricles all play unique roles and are all composed of these defined cardiomyocytes.
In order to induce the required tissues in lab researchers are required to locate each specific cardiomyocyte progenitor. Through studying expression of the Sfrp5 protein by the cells in the embryonic heart the HU team was able to locate all but of of these regions.
Much about the mysterious heart remains unknown. The process of the heart crescent forming from a single tissue source that goes on to form the entire organ is widely believed. But according to a recent study it it suggested that another mesodermal layer is involved which is located in the media side of the former in the cardiac crescent. The newly found layer is called the second heart field. The SHF is formed from undifferentiated splanchnic mesoderm, which later on goes on to form the right ventricle, part of the atrium, and outflow tract. What is now called the first heart field which is already differentiated forming most of the atria and left ventricle was formerly known as the cardiac crescent. Whether progenitors for this FHF exist still remains in question.
Sfrp5 expression was noted beginning at the lateral sides of the formerly named heart crescent, with the expression ceasing in the differentiated components of the outflow tract, atria, and left ventricle, but it continued on in the sinus venosus.
One of the major leading cause of death around the world continues to be heart disease. Cardiomyocytes when injured are not regenerated, which can contribute to heart failure and the possibility of sudden death. The HU teams findings may help contribute to the development of treatments for heart disease and lend new insight as to how progenitors contribute to components of the heart’s development.
HU researchers want to develop tissues for transplants, and necessary progenitors grown for injured hearts by way of developing stem cell treatments using information acquired from this study. It has been observed that there is also a potential to exploited the role of Sfrp5’s role in inducing progenitor proliferation. Insight on the development of the sinus venosus is of great interest due to it being the location of the body’s inbuilt pacemaker, the sinoatrial node.
