Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 27, 2025

In vivo Evaluation of Mucociliary Clearance in Mice
Published on: December 18, 2020
[Roles of Cilia in Heart Development and Congenital Heart Disease]
Abstract:
Cilia are protruding cell structures on the cell surface and are found in almost every type of cell.According to the different structures and quantity of tubulins,cilia can be divided into two categories:motor cilia and sensory cilia.Sensory cilia are also called non-motor cilia and primary cilia,due to the composition and number of tubulins.They are closely related to the development of internal organs and many human physiological activities.Recent studies have demonstrated that cilia are involved in regulating the formation of left and right symmetry of the heart structure,and eventually the heart develops into the left-right asymmetry structures.Since congenital heart diseases(CHD)are characterized by abnormalities in the spatial structure of the heart chamber and outflow tract,cilia may play an important role in the pathogenesis of CHD.Cilia,mainly through ciliary transduction signal pathways,regulate both the formation of left and right asymmetrical structures and the polarity and the migration of cells.Therefore,a clear understanding of the regulation mechanism of ciliary signaling pathway on heart development can provide new therapeutic targets and new ideas for the clinical treatment of CHD and may offer new target genes for prenatal screening of CHD.This article summarizes recent advances in the role of cilia in heart development and CHD pathogenesis and its mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
Microtubules in Signaling
Mechanism of Ciliary Motion
The cilia are made up of microtubules in a 9+2 arrangement, with nine microtubule doublet ring bundles, surrounding a pair of central singlet microtubule bundles. The doublet microtubule bundles are...
Development of the Heart
As the embryo undergoes lateral folding, these paired tubes approach each other, merging into a single primitive heart...
Chambers of the Heart
Deoxygenated blood from the body is received in the right...
Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm
Heart Valves
The AV valves prevent the backflow of blood from the ventricles to the atria during ventricular contraction. These valves function with the assistance of the chordae tendineae and papillary muscles. When the ventricles are relaxed, the chordae tendineae are slack, allowing blood to flow from the atria into the...

