Maturing Lab-Grown Heart Cells for Better Healing

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Scientists have made remarkable progress by growing human heart cells from stem cells, offering new possibilities for repairing damaged hearts. However, these lab-grown cells are still too “young” — they do not yet beat or respond like fully developed adult heart cells.

At Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine, the research team is pioneering an innovative approach to help these cells grow stronger and more functional. Using natural materials derived from real heart tissue, the team exposes the cells to gentle electrical pulses and rhythmic stretching—conditions that mimic the environment of a beating heart. This process effectively “trains” the cells to mature and behave more like healthy heart muscle.

The ultimate goal of this work is to create realistic heart tissue in the lab, enabling scientists to better study heart disease, test new treatments, and, in the future, repair damaged hearts.

Read the full article in the May 2025 issue of The Scientist Digest.