Applications of Stem Cells in Cardiovascular Functional Genomics

Dear Colleagues,

The regular development and maintenance of an intact cardiovascular system involve fine-tuned complex gene expression pathways which coordinate the development and function of the cardiovascular system. The field of cardiovascular functional genomics aims to identify regular genes and signal transduction pathways to obtain a better understanding of the development and progress of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Because of the strict ethical aspects, to date, functional genomics studies of the cardiovascular system have been executed using small animal studies. However, not all animal functional genomics studies can be transferred to humans. Moreover, even though animal studies have significantly contributed to the functional genomics of the cardiovascular system (CVS), these studies are very costly and time-consuming and cannot be executed in a high-throughput approach.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been shown to partly recapitulate embryonic development in vivo. Moreover, human cardiomyocytes from PSCs in combination with advanced genomics and live-cell imaging techniques are applied for discovering genomic networks of functional relevance, involved in the development of heart diseases. It is hoped that progress in this field will contribute to personalized medicine for developing better and novel therapeutic tools for the treatment of heart diseases. The present topic is focused on the latest progress in functional genomics (including epigenomics) of the heart system based on the PSC model. Emphasis will be placed on the question of how this emerging field will contribute to the discovery of novel mechanisms, pathways, and drugs which are relevant to therapeutic applications of heart diseases. In addition to original manuscripts, review manuscripts discussing limitations and advances of this field will also be considered for publication.

Prof. Dr. Agapios Sachinidis
Collection Editor

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