Engineered Cardiac Syncytium
The Crone Lab has developed micropatterning techniques to influence the maturation of immature cardiomyocytes (CMs) differentiated from stem cells. We have developed an engineered platform that allows the production of a range of micropatterns on substrates of varying stiffness. In contrast to standard two-dimensional cultures of cardiomyocytes where cells form cell-cell junctions in all directions, we have shown that immature CM cells patterned in lanes repeatability form extremely polarized structures which produce synchronous contraction, increased nuclear alignment, and highly enhanced sarcomere organization. In recent research exploring the co-culture of CMs with cardiac fibroblasts, we have shown aligned extracellular matrix remodeling and enhanced cardiomyocyte functionality. This platform is highly adaptable and is relevant to fundamental cardiomyocyte research, drug discovery, and toxicity testing. Our recent research has identified previously unexplored biomechanical features of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) and mutations of cardiac myosin binding protein C associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
This research is being conducted in collaboration with Prof. Tim Kamp’s research group and other co-investigators in the School of Medicine and Public Health.
in vitro Myotendinous Junction
The myotendinous junction (MTJ) is a highly specialized region at the interface of muscle and tendon tissues. Its complex architecture transduces applied forces and enables movement. The MTJ is a common site of injury in the hamstring, achilles, and rotator cuff due to the repetitive and cyclic nature of loading that occurs. Our research has produced a MTJ model to study tissue morphogenesis, terminal differentiation of both skeletal myocytes and tenogenic progenitors, and biomechanical cues associated with formation and repair.
This research is being conducted in collaboration with Prof. Masatoshi Suzuki’s research group in the School of Veterinary Medicine.
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