{
  "id": 275741,
  "title": "From growth to function: Gene helps human heart cells decide when to mature",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/from-growth-to-function-gene-helps-human-heart-cells-decide-when-to",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-07T16:40:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-growth-function-gene-human-heart.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists have identified a gene called PRDM16 that plays a crucial role in regulating heart muscle cell development. This gene acts as a developmental rheostat, helping human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes transition from a proliferative state to a mature state. When PRDM16 levels are reduced, cells regain some proliferative capability but struggle to acquire mature characteristics. Conversely, moderate overexpression of PRDM16 suppresses proliferation while promoting hallmarks of maturation, such as cellular hypertrophy, enhanced oxidative metabolism, and reduced spontaneous beating frequency. By understanding how this gene influences the balance between growth and specialization, researchers hope to improve regenerative strategies and generate higher-quality cardiac tissues for disease modeling and drug discovery.",
  "summary": "Understanding how heart muscle cells stop dividing and acquire the characteristics needed to sustain lifelong cardiac function remains one of the greatest challenges in cardiovascular biology. Leveraging human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology, a team led by Associate Professor Yoshinori Yoshida (Department of Clinical Application, CiRA, Kyoto University) and Associate Professor…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}