Year 2
We have been studying ways to understand how heart cells form from stem cells, and how we could help make the process more efficient, to generate new heart cells for patients with damaged hearts due to heart attacks. We have focused on the finding that cellular machines that unwind DNA from chromosomes, so-called chromatin remodeling factors, are important for turning on heart genes. To date we have been generating the important biological tools required for these studies. These include stem cells in which some of these chromatin genes have been inactivated, as well as DNA constructions that will be inserted into embryonic stem cells to attempt to induce them to become heart cells. In parallel we have been working towards using these factors to transform other types of cells, such as skin cells, into cardiomyocytes; in collaboration with our colleagues we have made significant progress towards this goal, and are now investigating the importance of the chromatin remodeling complexes in this process. Our progress has been excellent, and we are confident that we are making great strides towards regenerative medicine in the context of heart disease.