Calcium Fluxes in Heart Repair Patch (VIDEO)
Caption
University of Washington researchers in the Chuck Murry lab at the UW Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative medicine engineered this heart repair patch from a mix of stem cells. In a normal, living heart, electrical excitation triggers release of calcium in heart cells and subsequent muscle contraction to pump blood. The heart wall muscle is electro-mechanically coupled to make this synchronous activation pass across the entire tissue with each beat. This movie shows synchronous sweeps of calcium waves across the engineering heart repair patch, thereby indicating that the cells are electronically coupled.
Credit
Charles Murry Lab, University of Washington
Usage Restrictions
For news media or educational use only.
License
Licensed content