Scientists from the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and the biotechnology company Ncardia have developed a unique platform to provide automated production of 3D cardiac microtissues.
This technology will allow researchers to test thousands of drugs in a short period, marking a significant step forward in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Congenital cardiac arrhythmias affect one in every 2,000 people worldwide. These arrhythmias are often the cause of sudden death or life-threatening complications.
Until now, treatment for these conditions has been limited. Studying rare heart diseases in animal models yielded inaccurate results due to the anatomical and physiological complexity of the human heart, while accessing live patient tissue for experimentation was practically impossible and dangerous.
Unlike traditional methods, the new platform utilizes human pluripotent stem cells. According to the study’s authors, these cells can be transformed into any other type of cell in the laboratory. While scientists previously studied only a single layer of heart muscle cells, they have now created complex 3D microtissues that replicate human heart biology as closely as possible.
With the help of specialized fluorescent dyes and robotics, scientists can observe in detail how the artificial “mini-heart” reacts to various medications. To prove the efficiency of the new platform, the team has already tested more than 2,000 drugs and identified nearly 100 substances capable of correcting heart rhythm disorders.
