Particle.news

Download on the App Store

PIEZO2 Ion Channel Shapes Embryonic Coronary Vessel Development

Researchers have launched partnerships to test PIEZO2’s role in human stem cell–derived endothelial models for future therapies

Image

Overview

  • Preclinical study in Nature Cardiovascular Research shows PIEZO2 is essential for proper coronary artery morphogenesis in mice.
  • Both absence and hyperactivation of PIEZO2 in endothelial cells produce narrow or misbranched vessels and trigger compensatory cardiac hypertrophy.
  • Joint efforts with the Helmholtz Institute for Translational AngioCardioScience in Heidelberg and the Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology Platform in Berlin aim to replicate findings in human endothelial cells.
  • Evidence indicates PIEZO2, silent after birth, may reactivate in adult hearts under pathological stress, suggesting a target for regenerative therapies.
  • Cutting-edge tissue clearing and light sheet microscopy enabled detailed 3D mapping of developing coronary networks guided by PIEZO2.