First heart signaling atlas could help identify drugs that act directly on heart muscle

Scientists have developed a comprehensive map of chemical signals that regulate heart function, opening up new possibilities for understanding, diagnosing, and treating heart disease. This online resource, known as Cardiopedia-Ligand, catalogues how human heart tissue reacts to over 80 biological signals, creating an unprecedented reference tool for researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals.

Utilizing miniature human heart tissues (human cardiac organoids) grown in the lab, the study examined 87 signaling molecules interacting with receptors on heart cells. By measuring tissue contraction and analyzing gene activity, researchers generated a vast dataset linking biological signaling with heart function and gene expression.

Professor James Hudson of QIMR Berghofer's Cardiac Bioengineering Laboratory emphasized that this atlas fills a critical gap in understanding heart function. For the first time, all this information is brought together in one resource. Research officer Dr. Janice Reid highlighted the use of their human cardiac organoid platform, which can produce thousands of organoids weekly, enabling larger-scale studies.

The project was made possible by this platform, allowing the team to compare all ligands simultaneously and directly analyze their similarities and differences. The atlas, now publicly available, was generated over five years and is freely accessible to researchers worldwide. Hudson noted that the dataset enriches the understanding of heart disease and supports personalized treatment approaches.

The next phase involves screening around 2,000 drug compounds to create an even more detailed map of heart biology and responses to potential therapies. The ultimate goal is to facilitate more targeted treatments for heart failure, aligning drugs with individual patient genetics and biomarkers.