Bio


I earned my M.D. from Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University. Subsequently, I completed my residency and served as a cardiac fellow at Fuwai Hospital, where I developed a strong foundation in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases.

As a postdoctoral researcher and instructor in Dr. Joseph Wu’s lab at Stanford, I established a protocol to derive cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) from human iPSCs, providing an unlimited source of cells for studying cardiac fibrosis. This method generates homogenous iPSC-derived CFs that remain quiescent yet responsive to profibrotic stimuli. Notably, this protocol played a crucial role in developing a multiscale drug discovery platform that integrates human iPSCs, 3D-engineered heart tissues, and animal models of heart failure. Using this platform, I discovered novel signaling pathways and therapeutic targets for cardiac fibrosis. My most recent work has been published in Cell (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.034).

Academic Appointments


Honors & Awards


  • TRDRP New Investigator Award, TRDRP (2024)
  • American Heart Association Career Development Award, AHA (2023)
  • American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship, AHA (2020)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations


  • member, American Heart Association (2020 - Present)

Professional Education


  • MD, Peking Union Medical College, Tsinghua University (2013)

Patents


  • Hao Zhang. "United States Patent US-2022-0348877-A1 Generation of quiescent cardiac fibroblasts from human induced pluripotent stem cells for in vitro modeling of cardiac fibrosis"

All Publications


  • Multiscale drug screening for cardiac fibrosis identifies MD2 as a therapeutic target. Cell Zhang, H., Thai, P. N., Shivnaraine, R. V., Ren, L., Wu, X., Siepe, D. H., Liu, Y., Tu, C., Shin, H. S., Caudal, A., Mukherjee, S., Leitz, J., Wen, W. T., Liu, W., Zhu, W., Chiamvimonvat, N., Wu, J. C. 2024

    Abstract

    Cardiac fibrosis impairs cardiac function, but no effective clinical therapies exist. To address this unmet need, we employed a high-throughput screening for antifibrotic compounds using human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). Counter-screening of the initial candidates using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and iPSC-derived endothelial cells excluded hits with cardiotoxicity. This screening process identified artesunate as the lead compound. Following profibrotic stimuli, artesunate inhibited proliferation, migration, and contraction in human primary CFs, reduced collagen deposition, and improved contractile function in 3D-engineered heart tissues. Artesunate also attenuated cardiac fibrosis and improved cardiac function in heart failure mouse models. Mechanistically, artesunate targeted myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2) and inhibited MD2/Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway, alleviating fibrotic gene expression in CFs. Our study leverages multiscale drug screening that integrates a human iPSC platform, tissue engineering, animal models, in silico simulations, and multiomics to identify MD2 as a therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2024.09.034

    View details for PubMedID 39413786

  • Targeting GPCRs to treat cardiac fibrosis. Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine Zhang, H., Ren, L., Shivnaraine, R. V. 2022; 9: 1011176

    Abstract

    Cardiac fibrosis occurs ubiquitously in ischemic heart failure, genetic cardiomyopathies, diabetes mellitus, and aging. It triggers myocardial stiffness, which impairs cardiac function, ultimately progressing to end-stage heart failure and increased mortality. Although several targets for anti-fibrotic therapies have been identified, including TGF-beta and receptor tyrosine kinase, there is currently no FDA-approved drug specifically targeting cardiac fibrosis. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are integral, multipass membrane-bound receptors that exhibit diverse and cell-specific expression, offering novel and unrealized therapeutic targets for cardiac fibrosis. This review highlights the emerging roles of several GPCRs and briefly explores their downstream pathways that are crucial in cardiac fibrosis. We will not only provide an overview of the GPCRs expressed on cardiac fibroblasts that are directly involved in myofibroblast activation but also describe those GPCRs which contribute to cardiac fibrosis via indirect crosstalk mechanisms. We also discuss the challenges of identifying novel effective therapies for cardiac fibrosis and offer strategies to circumvent these challenges.

    View details for DOI 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1011176

    View details for PubMedID 36277752

  • Generation of Quiescent Cardiac Fibroblasts from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for In Vitro Modeling of Cardiac Fibrosis. Circulation research Zhang, H., Tian, L., Shen, M., Wu, H., Gu, M., Tu, C., Paik, D. T., Wu, J. C. 2019

    Abstract

    RATIONALE: Activated fibroblasts are the major cell type that secrete excessive extracellular matrix in response to injury, contributing to pathological fibrosis and leading to organ failure. Effective anti-fibrotic therapeutic solutions, however, are not available due to the poorly defined characteristics and unavailability of tissue-specific fibroblasts. Recent advances in single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) fill such gaps of knowledge by enabling delineation of the developmental trajectories and identification of regulatory pathways of tissue-specific fibroblasts among different organs.OBJECTIVE: This study aims to define the transcriptome profiles of tissue-specific fibroblasts using recently reported mouse scRNA-seq atlas, and to develop a robust chemically defined protocol to derive cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for in vitro modeling of cardiac fibrosis and drug screening.METHODS AND RESULTS: By analyzing the single-cell transcriptome profiles of fibroblasts from 10 selected mouse tissues, we identified distinct tissue-specific signature genes, including transcription factors that define the identities of fibroblasts in the heart, lungs, trachea, and bladder. We also determined that CFs in large are of the epicardial lineage. We thus developed a robust chemically-defined protocol that generates CFs from human iPSCs. Functional studies confirmed that iPSC-derived CFs preserved a quiescent phenotype and highly resembled primary CFs at the transcriptional, cellular, and functional levels. We demonstrated that this cell-based platform is sensitive to both pro- and anti-fibrosis drugs. Finally, we showed that crosstalk between cardiomyocytes and CFs via the atrial/brain natriuretic peptide-natriuretic peptide receptor 1 pathway is implicated in suppressing fibrogenesis.CONCLUSIONS: This study uncovers unique gene signatures that define tissue-specific identities of fibroblasts. The bona fide quiescent CFs derived from human iPSCs can serve as a faithful in vitro platform to better understand the underlying mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis and to screen anti-fibrotic drugs.

    View details for DOI 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.315491

    View details for PubMedID 31288631

  • Deciphering Congenital Heart Disease Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Advances in experimental medicine and biology Zhang, H., Wu, J. C. 2024; 1441: 239-252

    Abstract

    Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of birth defect-related death. Despite significant advances, the mechanisms underlying the development of CHD are complex and remain elusive due to a lack of efficient, reproducible, and translational model systems. Investigations relied on animal models have inherent limitations due to interspecies differences. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as an effective platform for disease modeling. iPSCs allow for the production of a limitless supply of patient-specific somatic cells that enable advancement in cardiovascular precision medicine. Over the past decade, researchers have developed protocols to differentiate iPSCs to multiple cardiovascular lineages, as well as to enhance the maturity and functionality of these cells. With the development of physiologic three-dimensional cardiac organoids, iPSCs represent a powerful platform to mechanistically dissect CHD and serve as a foundation for future translational research.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/978-3-031-44087-8_13

    View details for PubMedID 38884715

    View details for PubMedCentralID 7508797

  • Direct interrogation of context-dependent GPCR activity with a universal biosensor platform. Cell Janicot, R., Maziarz, M., Park, J. C., Zhao, J., Luebbers, A., Green, E., Philibert, C. E., Zhang, H., Layne, M. D., Wu, J. C., Garcia-Marcos, M. 2024

    Abstract

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of druggable proteins encoded in the human genome, but progress in understanding and targeting them is hindered by the lack of tools to reliably measure their nuanced behavior in physiologically relevant contexts. Here, we developed a collection of compact ONE vector G-protein Optical (ONE-GO) biosensor constructs as a scalable platform that can be conveniently deployed to measure G-protein activation by virtually any GPCR with high fidelity even when expressed endogenously in primary cells. By characterizing dozens of GPCRs across many cell types like primary cardiovascular cells or neurons, we revealed insights into the molecular basis for G-protein coupling selectivity of GPCRs, pharmacogenomic profiles of anti-psychotics on naturally occurring GPCR variants, and G-protein subtype signaling bias by endogenous GPCRs depending on cell type or upon inducing disease-like states. In summary, this open-source platform makes the direct interrogation of context-dependent GPCR activity broadly accessible.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.028

    View details for PubMedID 38412860

  • Direct interrogation of context-dependent GPCR activity with a universal biosensor platform. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology Janicot, R., Maziarz, M., Park, J., Luebbers, A., Green, E., Zhao, J., Philibert, C., Zhang, H., Layne, M. D., Wu, J. C., Garcia-Marcos, M. 2024

    Abstract

    G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of druggable proteins in the human genome, but progress in understanding and targeting them is hindered by the lack of tools to reliably measure their nuanced behavior in physiologically-relevant contexts. Here, we developed a collection of compact ONE vector G-protein Optical (ONE-GO) biosensor constructs as a scalable platform that can be conveniently deployed to measure G-protein activation by virtually any GPCR with high fidelity even when expressed endogenously in primary cells. By characterizing dozens of GPCRs across many cell types like primary cardiovascular cells or neurons, we revealed new insights into the molecular basis for G-protein coupling selectivity of GPCRs, pharmacogenomic profiles of anti-psychotics on naturally-occurring GPCR variants, and G-protein subtype signaling bias by endogenous GPCRs depending on cell type or upon inducing disease-like states. In summary, this open-source platform makes the direct interrogation of context-dependent GPCR activity broadly accessible.

    View details for DOI 10.1101/2024.01.02.573921

    View details for PubMedID 38260348

  • Tachycardia-induced metabolic rewiring as a driver of contractile dysfunction. Nature biomedical engineering Tu, C., Caudal, A., Liu, Y., Gorgodze, N., Zhang, H., Lam, C. K., Dai, Y., Zhang, A., Wnorowski, A., Wu, M. A., Yang, H., Abilez, O. J., Lyu, X., Narayan, S. M., Mestroni, L., Taylor, M. R., Recchia, F. A., Wu, J. C. 2023

    Abstract

    Prolonged tachycardia-a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality-can induce cardiomyopathy in the absence of structural disease in the heart. Here, by leveraging human patient data, a canine model of tachycardia and engineered heart tissue generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells, we show that metabolic rewiring during tachycardia drives contractile dysfunction by promoting tissue hypoxia, elevated glucose utilization and the suppression of oxidative phosphorylation. Mechanistically, a metabolic shift towards anaerobic glycolysis disrupts the redox balance of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), resulting in increased global protein acetylation (and in particular the acetylation of sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase), a molecular signature of heart failure. Restoration of NAD redox by NAD+ supplementation reduced sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase acetylation and accelerated the functional recovery of the engineered heart tissue after tachycardia. Understanding how metabolic rewiring drives tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy opens up opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41551-023-01134-x

    View details for PubMedID 38012305

    View details for PubMedCentralID 5336809

  • New Insights Into the Therapy forLamin-Associated DilatedCardiomyopathy. JACC. Basic to translational science Zhang, H., Ren, L., Wu, J. C. 2022; 7 (12): 1246-1248

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jacbts.2022.09.002

    View details for PubMedID 36644287

  • Disruption of mitochondria-sarcoplasmic reticulum microdomain connectomics contributes to sinus node dysfunction in heart failure. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Ren, L., Gopireddy, R. R., Perkins, G., Zhang, H., Timofeyev, V., Lyu, Y., Diloretto, D. A., Trinh, P., Sirish, P., Overton, J. L., Xu, W., Grainger, N., Xiang, Y. K., Dedkova, E. N., Zhang, X. D., Yamoah, E. N., Navedo, M. F., Thai, P. N., Chiamvimonvat, N. 2022; 119 (36): e2206708119

    Abstract

    The sinoatrial node (SAN), the leading pacemaker region, generates electrical impulses that propagate throughout the heart. SAN dysfunction with bradyarrhythmia is well documented in heart failure (HF). However, the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Mitochondria are critical to cellular processes that determine the life or death of the cell. The release of Ca2+ from the ryanodine receptors 2 (RyR2) on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) at mitochondria-SR microdomains serves as the critical communication to match energy production to meet metabolic demands. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that alterations in the mitochondria-SR connectomics contribute to SAN dysfunction in HF. We took advantage of a mouse model of chronic pressure overload-induced HF by transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and a SAN-specific CRISPR-Cas9-mediated knockdown of mitofusin-2 (Mfn2), the mitochondria-SR tethering GTPase protein. TAC mice exhibited impaired cardiac function with HF, cardiac fibrosis, and profound SAN dysfunction. Ultrastructural imaging using electron microscope (EM) tomography revealed abnormal mitochondrial structure with increased mitochondria-SR distance. The expression of Mfn2 was significantly down-regulated and showed reduced colocalization with RyR2 in HF SAN cells. Indeed, SAN-specific Mfn2 knockdown led to alterations in the mitochondria-SR microdomains and SAN dysfunction. Finally, disruptions in the mitochondria-SR microdomains resulted in abnormal mitochondrial Ca2+ handling, alterations in localized protein kinase A (PKA) activity, and impaired mitochondrial function in HF SAN cells. The current study provides insights into the role of mitochondria-SR microdomains in SAN automaticity and possible therapeutic targets for SAN dysfunction in HF patients.

    View details for DOI 10.1073/pnas.2206708119

    View details for PubMedID 36044551

  • Modeling Effects of Immunosuppressive Drugs on Human Hearts Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Organoids and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing. Circulation Sallam, K., Thomas, D., Gaddam, S., Lopez, N., Beck, A., Beach, L., Rogers, A. J., Zhang, H., Chen, I. Y., Ameen, M., Hiesinger, W., Teuteberg, J. J., Rhee, J. W., Wang, K. C., Sayed, N., Wu, J. C. 2022; 145 (17): 1367-1369

    View details for DOI 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.054317

    View details for PubMedID 35467958

  • Generation of three induced pluripotent stem cell lines (SCVIi014-A, SCVIi015-A, and SCVIi016-A) from patients with LQT1 caused by heterozygous mutations in the KCNQ1 gene. Stem cell research Zhang, H., Jahng, J. W., Liu, Y., Chase, A. J., Perez, M. V., Wu, J. C. 2021; 55: 102492

    Abstract

    Congenital long QT syndrome type 1 (LQT1) results from KCNQ1 mutations that cause loss of Kv7.1 channel function, leading to arrhythmias, syncope, and sudden cardiac death. Here, we generated three human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of LQT1 patients carrying pathogenic variants (c.569 G>A, c.585delG, and c.573_577delGCGCT) in KCNQ1. All lines show typical iPSC morphology, high expression of pluripotent markers, normal karyotype, and are able to differentiate into three germ layers in vitro. These lines are valuable resources for studying the pathological mechanisms of LQT1 caused by KCNQ1 mutations.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.scr.2021.102492

    View details for PubMedID 34411974

  • Endocardial/endothelial angiocrines regulate cardiomyocyte development and maturation and induce features of ventricular non-compaction. European heart journal Rhee, S., Paik, D. T., Yang, J. Y., Nagelberg, D., Williams, I., Tian, L., Roth, R., Chandy, M., Ban, J., Belbachir, N., Kim, S., Zhang, H., Phansalkar, R., Wong, K. M., King, D. A., Valdez, C., Winn, V. D., Morrison, A. J., Wu, J. C., Red-Horse, K. 2021

    Abstract

    AIMS: Non-compaction cardiomyopathy is a devastating genetic disease caused by insufficient consolidation of ventricular wall muscle that can result in inadequate cardiac performance. Despite being the third most common cardiomyopathy, the mechanisms underlying the disease, including the cell types involved, are poorly understood. We have previously shown that endothelial cell-specific deletion of the chromatin remodeller gene Ino80 results in defective coronary vessel development that leads to ventricular non-compaction in embryonic mouse hearts. We aimed to identify candidate angiocrines expressed by endocardial and ECs inwildtype and LVNC conditions in Tie2Cre;Ino80fl/fl transgenic embryonic mouse hearts, and test the effect of these candidates on cardiomyocyte proliferation and maturation.METHODS AND RESULTS: We used single-cell RNA-sequencing to characterize endothelial and endocardial defects in Ino80-deficient hearts. We observed a pathological endocardial cell population in the non-compacted hearts and identified multiple dysregulated angiocrine factors that dramatically affected cardiomyocyte behaviour. We identified Col15A1 as a coronary vessel-secreted angiocrine factor, downregulated by Ino80-deficiency, that functioned to promote cardiomyocyte proliferation. Furthermore, mutant endocardial and endothelial cells (ECs) up-regulated expression of secreted factors, such as Tgfbi, Igfbp3, Isg15, and Adm, which decreased cardiomyocyte proliferation and increased maturation.CONCLUSIONS: These findings support a model where coronary ECs normally promote myocardial compaction through secreted factors, but that endocardial and ECs can secrete factors that contribute to non-compaction under pathological conditions.

    View details for DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab298

    View details for PubMedID 34279605

  • Atlas of Exosomal microRNAs Secreted From Human iPSC-Derived Cardiac Cell Types. Circulation Chandy, M., Rhee, J., Ozen, M. O., Williams, D. R., Pepic, L., Liu, C., Zhang, H., Malisa, J., Lau, E., Demirci, U., Wu, J. C. 2020; 142 (18): 1794–96

    View details for DOI 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.120.048364

    View details for PubMedID 33136510

  • Single-Cell RNA-seq Unveils Unique Transcriptomic Signatures of Organ-Specific Endothelial Cells. Circulation Paik, D. T., Tian, L., Williams, I. M., Rhee, S., Zhang, H., Liu, C., Mishra, R., Wu, S. M., Red-Horse, K., Wu, J. C. 2020

    Abstract

    Background: Endothelial cells (ECs) display considerable functional heterogeneity depending on the vessel and tissue in which they are located. While these functional differences are presumably imprinted in the transcriptome, the pathways and networks which sustain EC heterogeneity have not been fully delineated. Methods: To investigate the transcriptomic basis of EC specificity, we analyzed single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from tissue-specific mouse ECs generated by the Tabula Muris consortium. We employed a number of bioinformatics tools to uncover markers and sources of EC heterogeneity from scRNA-seq data. Results: We found a strong correlation between tissue-specific EC transcriptomic measurements generated by either scRNA-seq or bulk RNA-seq, thus validating the approach. Using a graph-based clustering algorithm, we found that certain tissue-specific ECs cluster strongly by tissue (e.g. liver, brain) whereas others (i.e. adipose, heart) have considerable transcriptomic overlap with ECs from other tissues. We identified novel markers of tissue-specific ECs and signaling pathways that may be involved in maintaining their identity. Sex was a considerable source of heterogeneity in the endothelial transcriptome and we discovered Lars2 to be a gene that is highly enriched in ECs from male mice. In addition, we found that markers of heart and lung ECs in mice were conserved in human fetal heart and lung ECs. Finally, we identified potential angiocrine interactions between tissue-specific ECs and other cell types by analyzing ligand and receptor expression patterns. Conclusions: In summary, we use scRNA-seq data generated by the Tabula Muris consortium to uncover transcriptional networks that maintain tissue-specific EC identity and to identify novel angiocrine and functional relationships between tissue-specific ECs.

    View details for DOI 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.041433

    View details for PubMedID 32929989

  • Intrinsic Endocardial Defects Contribute to Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Cell stem cell Miao, Y., Tian, L., Martin, M., Paige, S. L., Galdos, F. X., Li, J., Klein, A., Zhang, H., Ma, N., Wei, Y., Stewart, M., Lee, S., Moonen, J., Zhang, B., Grossfeld, P., Mital, S., Chitayat, D., Wu, J. C., Rabinovitch, M., Nelson, T. J., Nie, S., Wu, S. M., Gu, M. 2020

    Abstract

    Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a complex congenital heart disease characterized by abnormalities in the left ventricle, associated valves, and ascending aorta. Studies have shown intrinsic myocardial defects but do not sufficiently explain developmental defects in the endocardial-derived cardiac valve, septum, and vasculature. Here, we identify a developmentally impaired endocardial population in HLHS through single-cell RNA profiling of hiPSC-derived endocardium and human fetal heart tissue with an underdeveloped left ventricle. Intrinsic endocardial defects contribute to abnormal endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, NOTCH signaling, and extracellular matrix organization, key factors in valve formation. Endocardial abnormalities cause reduced cardiomyocyte proliferation and maturation by disrupting fibronectin-integrin signaling, consistent with recently described de novo HLHS mutations associated with abnormal endocardial gene and fibronectin regulation. Together, these results reveal a critical role for endocardium in HLHS etiology and provide a rationale for considering endocardial function in regenerative strategies.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.stem.2020.07.015

    View details for PubMedID 32810435

  • Generation of Quiescent Cardiac Fibroblasts Derived from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.) Zhang, H. n., Shen, M. n., Wu, J. C. 2020

    Abstract

    Myocardial fibrosis is a hallmark of cardiac remodeling, which can progressively lead to heart failure, a leading cause of death worldwide. The effector cells of fibrosis in the heart are cardiac fibroblasts (CFs). There is currently no effective therapeutic strategy clinically available to specifically attenuate maladaptive responses of CFs. Large-scale applications such as high-throughput drug screening are difficult due to the limited availability of human primary CFs, thus limiting the development of future treatments. Here, we describe a robust induction protocol that can be used to generate a scalable, consistent, genetically defined source of quiescent CFs from human induced pluripotent stem cells for cardiac fibrosis modeling, drug discovery, and tissue engineering.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/7651_2020_300

    View details for PubMedID 32671814

  • Single-Cell RNA-seq Unveils Unique Transcriptomic Signatures of Organ-Specific Endothelial Cells Paik, D. T., Tian, L., Williams, I. M., Zhang, H., Williams, D., Mishra, R., Wu, S. M., Wu, J. C. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2019
  • Modelling diastolic dysfunction in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients. European heart journal Wu, H. n., Yang, H. n., Rhee, J. W., Zhang, J. Z., Lam, C. K., Sallam, K. n., Chang, A. C., Ma, N. n., Lee, J. n., Zhang, H. n., Blau, H. M., Bers, D. M., Wu, J. C. 2019

    Abstract

    Diastolic dysfunction (DD) is common among hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients, causing major morbidity and mortality. However, its cellular mechanisms are not fully understood, and presently there is no effective treatment. Patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) hold great potential for investigating the mechanisms underlying DD in HCM and as a platform for drug discovery.In the present study, beating iPSC-CMs were generated from healthy controls and HCM patients with DD. Micropatterned iPSC-CMs from HCM patients showed impaired diastolic function, as evidenced by prolonged relaxation time, decreased relaxation rate, and shortened diastolic sarcomere length. Ratiometric Ca2+ imaging indicated elevated diastolic [Ca2+]i and abnormal Ca2+ handling in HCM iPSC-CMs, which were exacerbated by β-adrenergic challenge. Combining Ca2+ imaging and traction force microscopy, we observed enhanced myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity (measured as dF/Δ[Ca2+]i) in HCM iPSC-CMs. These results were confirmed with genome-edited isogenic iPSC lines that carry HCM mutations, indicating that cytosolic diastolic Ca2+ overload, slowed [Ca2+]i recycling, and increased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, collectively impairing the relaxation of HCM iPSC-CMs. Treatment with partial blockade of Ca2+ or late Na+ current reset diastolic Ca2+ homeostasis, restored diastolic function, and improved long-term survival, suggesting that disturbed Ca2+ signalling is an important cellular pathological mechanism of DD. Further investigation showed increased expression of L-type Ca2+channel (LTCC) and transient receptor potential cation channels (TRPC) in HCM iPSC-CMs compared with control iPSC-CMs, which likely contributed to diastolic [Ca2+]i overload.In summary, this study recapitulated DD in HCM at the single-cell level, and revealed novel cellular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets of DD using iPSC-CMs.

    View details for DOI 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz326

    View details for PubMedID 31219556