Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 29, 2025
Ultrasound-Guided Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocyte Implantation in Myocardial Infarcted Mice
Published on: March 30, 2022
Contractile Force of Transplanted Cardiomyocytes Actively Supports Heart Function After Injury
Tim Stüdemann1, Judith Rössinger2,1, Christoph Manthey2,1
1German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Hamburg/Kiel/Lubeck, Germany (T.S., J.R., C.M., R.S., C.v.B., A.S., M.K., T.E., F.W.).
Background:
Transplantation of pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes represents a promising therapeutic strategy for cardiac regeneration, and the first clinical studies in patients with heart failure have commenced. Yet, little is known about the mechanism of action underlying graft-induced benefits. Here, we explored whether transplanted cardiomyocytes actively contribute to heart function.
Methods:
We injected cardiomyocytes with an optogenetic off-on switch in a guinea pig cardiac injury model.
Results:
Light-induced inhibition of engrafted cardiomyocyte contractility resulted in a rapid decrease of left ventricular function in ≈50% (7/13) animals that was fully reversible with the offset of photostimulation.
Conclusions:
Our optogenetic approach demonstrates that transplanted cardiomyocytes can actively participate in heart function, supporting the hypothesis that the delivery of new force-generating myocardium can serve as a regenerative therapeutic strategy.
