Human iPSC Modeling of Heart Disease for Drug Screening

In cardiovascular research, the modeling of heart diseases with human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has marked a significant shift toward innovative drug discovery processes. Conventional screening methods often fall short due to their limited human relevance, but hiPSCs provide a robust platform for generating patient-specific cardiomyocytes. This approach allows for an accurate replication of the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of heart diseases directly in vitro. By doing so, researchers can explore disease mechanisms and drug responses more precisely, enhancing the relevance and efficacy of potential therapeutic targets and advancing toward personalized treatment strategies.

This Research Topic aims to advance the understanding and effectiveness of hiPSC-based drug discovery in the context of cardiovascular diseases. It seeks to highlight the role of recent technological enhancements in iPSC technology, including genome editing and advances in cellular engineering, to refine drug discovery processes and tailor treatments to individual genetic backgrounds.

In pursuit of deeper insights into better simulating heart disease for drug discovery, this Research Topic encourages submissions focused on several key areas: the development and optimization of differentiation protocols to lessen variability and produce mature cardiomyocytes that closely mimic human heart tissues; improvements in culturing techniques to better replicate the cardiac microenvironment in vitro and the use of advanced imaging techniques and both experimental and computational functional assays for a holistic evaluation of drug effects. Research in these specific areas promises to enhance the precision of drug discovery, leveraging hiPSCs for more targeted and effective therapeutic solutions in cardiovascular medicine.

In this Research Topic, we encourage researchers to contribute with original research articles, reviews, methods, commentaries, and perspectives including, but not only:

iPSC generation and differentiation protocols (small molecule compounds, growth factors, genetic manipulation techniques...)

• iPSC-cardiomyocytes maturation protocols (three-dimensional culture systems, microfluidic technologies, tissue engineering approaches…)

• Complex iPSC-CMs systems (spheroids, organoids and engineered heart tissues)

• Cell-type specific models (atrial, nodal/Purkinje and ventricular)

• Patient-specific derived models for a more personalized medicine

• Computational models for a better and more focused drug pre-testing, drug screening and cardiotoxicity assays.

• Genome editing protocols for the generation of disease- and patient-specific lines or correcting genetic mutations.