Breakthrough ‘Heart’ Discovery Raises Hope for Significant Medical Advances

In a pioneering development in the field of medical research, a complex cluster of heart cells with cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been grown using stem cells at a research laboratory in the University of East London (UEL).

The research carried out by

, senior lecturer at the University’s

, involved growing the stem cells in a dish and differentiating them into heart tissue, so they function like a miniature human heart, complete with heartbeat. Because they have heart disease they could be of enormous value in devising treatments for CVD, which kills one in six people globally.

The researchers are also looking to harness the power of predictive AI as a diagnostic tool in their work with the stem cells. It’s hoped AI will help them understand the intricacies of heart disease and its relationship with the

. The stem cell hearts are being used as models to assist scientists understanding of the mechanisms of the disease, enabling them to better target effective treatments for it.