Reprogramming cardiac fibroblast cells to transform into beating heart muscle

Researchers have clarified the roles of matrix stiffness and mechanotransduction as well as the signaling pathways in the transformation of cardiac fibroblasts into contractile cardiomyocytes and show that soft substrates comparable to native myocardium improve the efficiency of this cardiac reprogramming. This has potential for research into biomaterials and may lead to clinical advances in regenerative treatment for heart failure.

Source: Reprogramming cardiac fibroblast cells to transform into beating heart muscle