By Dr Jonathan Shurlock
Edited by Dr Ahmed El-Medany
The function of cells is dependent both on their intrinsic characteristics and niche; the microenvironment in which they exist. A recent study published in Nature used spatial transcriptomics to map the gene expression profiles of cardiac niches in human hearts.
The study, led by Dr Kanemaru (@kazukane) and Dr Cranley (@JamesCranley), utilised a custom-built spatial transcriptomics platform to analyse tissue samples from human hearts. The platform combines single-cell RNA sequencing with spatial imaging to create a detailed map of the gene expression landscape in cardiac niches. Tissue samples were analysed from 10 different regions of the heart, including the left and right ventricle, and both atria. Samples were taken from both healthy and diseased hearts.
The authors found that the gene expression profiles of cardiac niches vary depending on the region of the heart and the health status of the heart. For example, the niche surrounding cardiomyocytes is enriched for genes involved in metabolism and contraction. The niche surrounding fibroblasts, the heart’s connective tissue cells, is enriched for genes involved in extracellular matrix production and repair. While these findings are logical, having them accurately mapped is particularly useful.
The gene expression profiles of cardiac niches were found to be dynamic. With one example of the niche surrounding cardiomyocytes changing during heart development and in response to injury.
These findings provide new insights into the molecular composition of cardiac niches and how the dynamic nature of them supports the function of cardiac cells. The hope is that this work can provide targets for novel interventions through a greater understanding of the cardiac cell environment. The full study should be read to gain an in-depth understanding of the methodology and specific findings
Reference:
Kanemaru K, Cranley J, Muraro D, Miranda AM, Ho SY, Wilbrey-Clark A, Patrick Pett J, Polanski K, Richardson L, Litvinukova M, Kumasaka N. Spatially resolved multiomics of human cardiac niches. Nature. 2023 Jul 12:1-0.
