2026-08-11 ピッツバーグ大学

<関連情報>
- https://news.engineering.pitt.edu/heart-assembloids-give-researchers-a-new-way-to-study-heart-valve-disorders/
- https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(26)00271-7
ヒトiPSC由来心臓弁様アセンブロイドは弁の発達と疾患病理をモデル化する Human iPSC-derived heart valve-like assembloids model valve development and disease pathology
Yuanhang He ∙ Abbas Jalili ∙ Carter B. Jones ∙ … ∙ Lance A. Davidson ∙ Si-Yang Zheng ∙ Guang Li
Cell Stem Cell Published:August 11, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2026.07.011
Highlights
- Human iPSC assembloids generate valve-like structures resembling fetal heart valves
- Mechanical force modulates valve induction via mechanosensitive signaling pathways
- Endothelial cues and shear stress promote valve maintenance and ECM stratification
- The platform models congenital and acquired heart valve diseases
Summary
Heart valves maintain unidirectional blood flow, yet most understanding of their development and disease comes from animal models that do not fully capture human valve behavior. We present a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived valve-like assembloid platform that models key aspects of in vivo valve features at the cellular and molecular levels. We found that mechanical forces, endothelial culture conditions, and fluidic shear stress respectively promote valve induction, maintenance, and extracellular matrix stratification. We further used this system to model human valve defects, including genetic mutations, injury, and hyperglycemia-related abnormalities. This assembloid platform enables the in vitro study of human valve development and disease mechanisms.

