Genetic and Acquired Disease Modeling with hiPSC-derived Cardiomyocytes

The development of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) technologies over the decades has revolutionized the field of biomedical research, enabling the production of multiple cell types and the creation of a myriad of in vitro human models. Among these models, hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are of utmost importance given the limitations in accessing human heart cells for research. Current challenges in cardiovascular research include understanding the mechanisms underlying inherited and acquired heart diseases and developing effective therapeutic strategies. Recent studies have demonstrated that hiPSC-CMs can be derived from patients carrying mutations causative of cardiovascular diseases, providing unlimited access to human heart cells that can be directly related to patients’ medical histories. Despite these advancements, there remain significant gaps in our understanding of disease mechanisms and the translation of these findings into clinical practice. This research topic aims to address these gaps by exploring the latest developments and applications of hiPSC technologies in studying inherited and acquired diseases with cardiac implications.

This research topic aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest developments and applications of hiPSC technologies to study inherited and acquired diseases with cardiac implications. The main objectives include understanding the mechanisms of inherited and acquired cardiovascular diseases, exploring the potential of hiPSC-CMs in personalized medicine, and developing novel assays and models to enhance research and therapeutic outcomes. Specific questions to be addressed include:
- How can hiPSC-CMs be used to model specific genetic mutations and their effects on cardiac function?
- What are the best culture conditions and manipulations to recapitulate acquired heart diseases?
- How can these models be used to inform clinical decision-making and personalized treatment strategies?

To gather further insights into the applications and limitations of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes in disease modeling, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Translational and mechanistic research on inherited and acquired arrhythmias
- Translational and mechanistic research on inherited and acquired cardiomyopathies
- Personalized medicine approaches using hiPSC-CMs
- Development and application of novel multimodal assays using hiPSC-CMs
- Advances in heart tissue engineering
- Innovations in lab-on-a-chip systems for cardiovascular research
- Strategies for enhancing hiPSC-CM maturation and functionality

By exploring these themes, this research topic aims to advance our understanding of cardiovascular diseases and pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: hiPSC, tissue engineering, hiPSC-CM, assays, personalized medicine

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.