Kidney research leads to surprising discovery about how the heart forms
UVA scientists were surprised to discover that the heart's inner lining forms from the same stem cells, known as "precursor cells," that turn into blood. That means a single type of stem cell turns into both our blood and a portion of the organ that will pump it. The researchers determined that a particular gene, S1P1, is vital for the proper formation of the heart. Without it, the heart tissue produced by the precursor cells develops a sponginess that compromises the heart's ability to contract tightly and pump blood efficiently. In people, that is known as ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy, a dangerous condition that often leads to early death. "Many patients who suffer from untreatable chronic diseases , including heart and kidney diseases, are in waiting lists for limited organ transplantation. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand what happens to the cells during disease and how can they be repaired," said researcher Yan Hu, PhD...