Researchers in Germany have developed a heart organoid that is capable of producing blood, to improve the study of heart development and diseases.
The study at EARA member Hannover Medical School created organoids in the lab from human pluripotent stem cells (HPSCs), which have the ability to develop into any cell type.
With the addition of specific biological and chemical signals to the cell culture, the HPSCs then combine before developing into 3D structures that resemble aspects of the human heart.
The researchers were then able to make the organoid generate blood by adding blood vessel linings to the organoid, from which blood-forming cells emerged.
It is hoped that this breakthrough will allow the biology of the heart to be studied with greater accuracy, while also holding the potential to investigate diseases that attack the heart, such as Covid-19, genetic defects, and the effect of treatments.