Stem cell-derived heterocellular atrial engineered cardiac tissue with comparisons to native human atrial myocardium.

Summary: Scientists need better ways to study the top chambers of the human heart, called the atria. To do this safely in a lab, they used special stem cells to grow human heart tissue. They mixed heart muscle cells and support cells to create a working 3D model of atrial tissue. Then, they compared their lab-grown tissue to real human heart tissue and to lab-grown tissue from the bottom chambers of the heart. They found that the lab-grown atrial tissue beat faster on its own, acting very much like a real human heart. This new model will help doctors test new drugs and study heart diseases without putting patients at risk.