While much is understood about the mechanisms of the life-sustaining pump known as the human heart, when it is examined on the cellular and molecular level many mysteries remain. Unraveling the secrets of what makes heart muscle cells different from most others in the human body is the passion of Bernhard Kühn, MD, and Honghai Liu, Ph.D, whose laboratory resides within the Weill Cornell Medicine. Notably, these specialized contractile cells, called cardiomyocytes, are exceptional in that they lack the ability to replicate and proliferate, processes that are necessary to repair tissue damage and restore normal function.
Our innovative work has already provided insight into the growth mechanisms of these cells. The Kühn and Liu Lab’s long-term goal is to regenerate human hearts. This involves developing therapies that can help the heart muscle, the myocardium, to heal itself – to recover from a heart attack, or to help it restore a congenital heart defect to normal cardiac function without requiring surgery.
Through its initiatives, the Kühn and Liu Lab address these important biological questions:
- How do cardiomyocytes stop dividing?
- How do differentiated cardiomyocytes re-enter the cell division cycle?
- If cardiomyocyte regeneration can be stimulated, how can this be controlled? The answers may ultimately lead to regenerative therapies for heart failure.