Induced pluripotent stem cells for the study of cardiovascular disease

Groundbreaking advances in stem cell research have led to techniques for the creation of human cardiomyocytes from cells procured from a variety of sources, including a simple skin biopsy. Since the advent of this technology, most research has focused on utilizing these cells for therapeutic purposes. However, recent studies have demonstrated that stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes generated from patients with inherited cardiovascular disorders recapitulate key phenotypic features of disease in vitro. Furthermore, these cells can be maintained in culture for prolonged periods of time and used for extensive biochemical and physiological analysis. By serving as models of inherited cardiac disorders, these systems have the potential to fundamentally change the manner in which cardiovascular disease is studied and new therapies are developed.