Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2026
10:56
Analysis of Cardiomyocyte Development using Immunofluorescence in Embryonic Mouse Heart
Published on: March 26, 2015
21.9K
Size-Modulated Mesoderm-Endoderm Divergence and Myocardial Cavitation in Micropatterned Cardioids
Plansky Hoang1,2, David W McKellar3, Andrew Kowalczewski1,2
1Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|September 26, 2025
Summary
This study uses micropatterned cardioids to model human heart and foregut development, revealing key signaling pathways and how pattern size affects tissue formation and cell communication.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Biology
- Organoid Technology
Background:
- The human heart develops from splanchnic mesoderm, co-evolving with the foregut endoderm via reciprocal signaling.
- Existing cardioid models provide insights into cardiovascular development, but mesoderm-endoderm crosstalk remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate synergistic mesoderm-endoderm co-development using micropatterned cardioids.
- To explore the role of signaling pathways and pattern size in early heart and foregut development.
Main Methods:
- Integration of micropatterned cardioids, CRISPR-engineered human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), deep-tissue imaging, and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq).
- Utilized PHATE trajectory mapping for lineage reconstruction and ligand-receptor interaction analysis to identify signaling pathways.
Main Results:
- Reconstructed mesoderm-heart and endoderm-foregut lineage bifurcations, identifying key cardiac and hepatic cell types.
- Highlighted distinct signaling activities: mesodermal cells showed WNT, NRG, and TGF-β activity; endodermal cells exhibited VEGF and Hedgehog activity.
- Micropattern size influenced cellular composition, cardioid cavitation, contractility, and signaling crosstalk, with 600 μm patterns promoting larger cavity formation.
Conclusions:
- Established micropatterned cardioids as a model for studying mesoderm-endoderm co-development.
- Enhanced understanding of the synergistic relationship between the developing heart and foregut during early embryogenesis.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Anatomy of the Heart
The human heart is made up of three layers of tissue that are surrounded by the pericardium, a membrane that protects and confines the heart. The outermost layer, closest to the pericardium, is the epicardium. The pericardial cavity separates the pericardium from the epicardium. Beneath the epicardium is the myocardium, the middle layer, and the endocardium, the innermost layer. There are four chambers of the heart: the right atrium, the right ventricle, the left atrium, and the left ventricle.
01:13Structure of Cardiac Muscles
Cardiac muscle, or myocardium, is a specialized type of muscle found exclusively in the heart. Its unique structural and functional characteristics enable the heart to perform its vital role of pumping blood throughout the body continuously and rhythmically. The cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, possess an endomysium and perimysium but do not have an epimysium.
Compared to skeletal muscles, cardiac muscle cells are small and mostly have a single nucleus. Additionally, they are usually...
Compared to skeletal muscles, cardiac muscle cells are small and mostly have a single nucleus. Additionally, they are usually...
01:13Location and Orientation of the Heart
The human heart, despite its modest size and weight, is an organ of remarkable strength and endurance. Roughly the size of a fist, the heart weighs between 250 and 350 grams and is nestled within the mediastinum, the medial cavity of the thorax. It extends obliquely for about 12 to 14 cm, resting on the superior surface of the diaphragm. The heart is positioned anterior to the vertebral column and posterior to the sternum, with two-thirds of its mass lying to the left of the midsternal line.
01:15Layers of the Heart Wall
The heart wall comprises three distinct layers: the epicardium, myocardium, and endocardium. The outermost layer, the epicardium, is the visceral layer of the serous pericardium, featuring a thin, transparent mesothelial surface and an inner layer of areolar connective tissue with fat deposits that increase with age.
The myocardium, the thickest layer, consists of cardiac muscle cells interconnected by intercalated discs and crisscrossing connective tissue fibers. These muscle fibers contract...
The myocardium, the thickest layer, consists of cardiac muscle cells interconnected by intercalated discs and crisscrossing connective tissue fibers. These muscle fibers contract...
01:16Chambers of the Heart
The human heart is a complex organ made up of four chambers: the right and left atria and the right and left ventricles. These internal chambers are separated by partitions known as the interatrial and interventricular septa. The exterior of the heart features a groove known as the coronary sulcus that demarcates the atria from the ventricles, while the anterior and posterior interventricular sulci distinguish between the two ventricles.
Deoxygenated blood from the body is received in the right...
Deoxygenated blood from the body is received in the right...