STEM CELL PLATFORM SPEEDS UP DRUG DISCOVERY

摘要

Dt doesn't look like much, just a thin strip of muscle suspended between two fine wires. Yet this cylindrical shaped piece of cardiac tissue, no bigger than a grain of rice, is a powerful new tool for testing novel heart disease therapies. Scientists have validated the platform with existing drugs that treat slow heart rates, chest pain, high blood pressure, heart rhythm disorders, and other conditions. Now, more and more companies are turning to this miniature version of the human heart to evaluate experimental medicines before advancing them into clinical trials.