Lab-grown tissue reveals how inflammation may drive heart relaxation failure
Researchers at Fujita Health University have developed a lab-grown human heart tissue model to study heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). The study identifies how excessive fatty acids can impair the heart's ability to relax, providing a more accurate alternative to animal testing.
Why it matters
This breakthrough offers a more reliable human-based model for testing cardiovascular drugs and understanding disease mechanisms, potentially accelerating heart failure treatments.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Stem Cell (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2026.06.007 Scientists study the underlying causes of a disease or test potential new drugs in animal models or cells obtained from human biopsy specimens before clinical trials. However, disease models in animals do not mimic actual human disease, and biopsy specimens are difficult to access for research purposes. Lab-grown tissues engineered from stem cells reprogrammed from human cells, called human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), are rapidly emerging as a more reliable and accessible model in medical research.
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