The main aim of heart group is to differentiate functional cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes from pluripotent stem cells and study different genetic heart diseases and atherosclerosis with the help of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology. Research focuses also on the development of iPSC lines and optimizing the differentiation methods and growth environment of cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes. This includes studying the effects of both biochemical and physical factors on the differentiation of these cells, their growth, maturation and characteristics. Cardiac and hepatic differentiations are routine technologies in our laboratory. With experience in molecular biology, molecular genetics, and clinical cardiology, and with close collaboration networks in Finland and abroad we have successfully established facilities and techniques to investigate iPSCs and established disease models for genetic cardiac diseases. We are studying cells from patients with different cardiac diseases and we have set up a range of methods to detect abnormalities in cell morphology, beating behavior as well as in electrical properties of the cells. In addition, we are studying responses of different drugs on patient- and mutation specific cardiomyocytes and conducting clinical studies where the cell model observations on drug responses are verified in patients. The heart group also conducts research with biomaterials suitable for the cultivation of cardiomycoytes. In addition, we are participating in designing different devises and platforms to alter cell culture conditions and designing softwares to automatically analyze our in vitro research data. The research group engages actively in co-operation with experts in various fields, including engineers, experts in biomaterials, electrophysiologists, cell model experts and clinicians.
Group Leader Katriina Aalto-Setälä