Mar 03, 2024

Cardiomyocytes - The Mysteries of the Human Heart

Les cardiomyocytes - Les mystères du coeur humain - Cellandart

Articles on cardiomyocytes

Welcome to this article dedicated to cardiomyocytes. Here you will discover fascinating information about these essential heart cells. Before you begin, test your knowledge with this quick quiz.

Test your knowledge of cardiomyocytes

What is a cardiomyocyte?

Cardiomyocytes are the contractile cells of the heart, essential for pumping blood throughout the body. They make up the heart's muscle tissue, or myocardium, and are specialized to perform rhythmic contractions.

Did you know? Unlike most cells in the body, cardiomyocytes have a very limited ability to regenerate, which is why damage to the heart, such as from a heart attack, is often permanent.

Figure 1: Muscle fibers of a cardiomyocyte. Credit: Hui Lin and Dr. Kim McBride

Why are cardiomyocytes so important?

Cardiomyocytes are the main component of the heart muscle, or myocardium. These cells are characterized by their ability to generate spontaneous electrical impulses, which trigger the heart to contract. This process is essential for maintaining blood circulation, providing oxygen and nutrients to the body's tissues while removing waste products. The unique structure of cardiomyocytes, with their striated muscle fibers and their organization into sarcomeres (visible in the first image with a complex network of filaments), allows them to ensure these repetitive and coordinated contractions.

Figure 1: Cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, stained for F-actin (magenta) and DNA (gray). Credit: Dr. Outi Paloheimo

How do researchers study cardiomyocytes?

Researchers are increasingly turning to stem cells to study cardiomyocytes and explore new therapies for heart disease. Particularly promising are induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can differentiate into cardiomyocytes.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs):

iPSCs are somatic cells (e.g., skin cells) reprogrammed to a pluripotent state, i.e., the ability to differentiate into any cell type, including cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocytes derived from iPSCs enable the study of fundamental mechanisms of cardiac cell function, including the electrophysiological processes underlying cardiac contractions.

Did you know? Stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte models are used not only for basic research, but also to test drug toxicity, thereby accelerating the development of new therapies.

What do you think?

Can cardiomyocytes regenerate efficiently after cardiac injury?

Expert Answer: According to Dr. Michael G. Heller, a renowned cardiology researcher, "Cardiomyocytes have a very limited ability to regenerate. Currently, cardiac regeneration techniques are still under development, and the available methods do not allow for complete regeneration of cardiac tissue after major injury." Therefore, the correct answer is "No."