UCL scientists reveal secrets of heart cell origins in embryos

• Scientists identified the origin of heart cells in mice.
• The study used advanced three-dimensional microscopy.
• The discovery could influence the understanding of congenital heart defects.

Scientists from University College London have made a groundbreaking discovery that could change our comprehension of heart development. Through advanced three-dimensional microscopy, they have identified the origin of the cells that form the heart in mice. This study could be crucial for understanding the mechanisms behind congenital heart defects.

The study utilised layer microscopy, which allows for observing three-dimensional details of living tissues without damaging them. Thanks to this, scientists could track the movement and division of cells forming the heart during the critical point in embryo development, known as gastrulation.

The results of the study were surprising. At the initial stage of gastrulation, cells destined to form the heart begin to appear. Moreover, these cells move in an organised manner, as if they already know their destination.

This is the first time we've been able to watch heart cells this closely, for this long, during mammalian development. We first had to reliably grow the embryos in a dish over long periods, from a few hours to a few days, and what we found was totally unexpected – explains Dr Kenzo Ivanovitch.

This discovery could revolutionise the understanding of the formation of congenital heart defects and the development of organs. Scientists hope their research will eventually lead to the discovery of new mechanisms of organ formation, which could have significant importance and applications in regenerative medicine.

In the future, we hope this work will help uncover new mechanisms of organ formation. This will inform design principles to precisely program tissue patterns and shapes for tissue engineering – emphasised Dr Ivanovitch.