Research with mini-hearts

Project summary

In laminopathy, a rare hereditary mutation in the lamin gene disrupts the structure of cell nuclei. This also has consequences for the heart muscle: it causes dilated cardiomyopathy, an aggressive form of heart failure. There is currently no therapy for patients, carriers of the mutation often have to undergo a heart transplant or die at a young age.

Researchers from ARENA-PRIME will therefore collaborate with HeartBeat.bio, a company specialized in heart organoids. There they can make mini hearts whose cells also have this mutation.

This allows researchers to determine the precise underlying cause of the disease. They also want to further optimize developed therapies and test new technologies for therapeutic applications.