BigHeart: Mapping connectivity in the adult human heart at the micron scale

The human heart relies on the intricate coordination of various systems, including muscular, electrical, vascular, lymphatic, and neural components. However, the three-dimensional relationships among these systems have not been fully understood at the microscopic level throughout the entire organ. To address this knowledge gap, a research team employed hierarchical phase-contrast tomography to create a comprehensive, three-dimensional structural reference of an entire adult human heart.

This technique allowed for the generation of a continuous image without the need for sectioning or staining.

The resulting dataset revealed the heart's hierarchical myocardial architecture, as well as quantitative orientation analysis that highlighted regional differences in the organization of myocardial cell aggregates. Furthermore, researchers were able to trace the atrioventricular conduction axis and identify a distinct subendocardial Purkinje network that interfaces with the working myocardium.

An integrated segmentation of the dataset demonstrated that coronary vessels, lymphatic collectors, and autonomic nerves occupy shared epicardial corridors. This publically accessible dataset integrates all cardiac systems within a common spatial framework, providing a valuable resource for anatomy, computational modeling, and future molecular atlases.