Advances in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy modeling using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-based models

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Genetics
• Stem Cell Biology

Background:

• Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a severe inherited heart disease, often fatal in young individuals and athletes.
• Diagnosis is challenging due to overlapping symptoms with other cardiac disorders, frequently leading to sudden cardiac death as the first sign.
• Current understanding of ACM's molecular mechanisms is limited, hindering the development of disease-modifying therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current 2D and 3D human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived models for studying arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
• To highlight the utility of hiPSC models in replicating ACM's pathological features and elucidating disease mechanisms.
• To discuss future directions for hiPSC-based research in advancing ACM mechanistic discovery and therapeutic development.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on 2D and 3D hiPSC-derived models of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
• Analysis of how these models recapitulate key pathological hallmarks of ACM, including cardiomyocyte loss and fibrofatty replacement.
• Evaluation of insights gained from hiPSC platforms regarding ACM pathophysiology and disease progression.

Main Results:

• hiPSC-derived models can replicate crucial pathological features of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, such as cardiomyocyte dysfunction and electrical abnormalities.
• These models have provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying ACM development and progression.
• Despite progress, challenges remain in creating fully physiologically relevant hiPSC models for complex cardiac diseases.

Conclusions:

• hiPSC-based models are crucial tools for understanding the complex pathophysiology of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
• Advancing these models towards greater physiological relevance is essential for uncovering novel therapeutic targets and developing disease-modifying treatments.
• Future research should focus on refining hiPSC models to better mimic the human ACM environment for accelerated drug discovery and clinical translation.