Heart HealthNew Atlas Maps How 87 Signaling Molecules Shape Human Heart Function
Researchers at QIMR Berghofer created Cardiopedia-Ligand, a first-of-its-kind atlas that tested 87 signaling molecules on human cardiac organoids — tiny lab-grown heart models — measuring both how they contract and how their genes respond. Using high-throughput automation and single-organoid RNA sequencing, the team identified distinct functional clusters including inotropes, inflammatory signals, and extracellular matrix regulators. Machine learning then cross-referenced these clusters against real heart failure biopsy samples, uncovering a previously underappreciated interferon-γ signaling pathway linked to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) — a common, poorly treated form of heart failure especially prevalent in older adults. This open resource gives researchers and clinicians a powerful map for discovering new cardiac drug targets.
