Home Department: undeclared
Mentor: Joseph Wu (Medicine - Cardiovascular Medicine and Radiology)

“Cardiac Amyloidosis Disease Modeling using iPSC-derived Cardiomyocytes and 3D Cardiac Organoids”

Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) is characterized by the misfolding of TTR proteins, resulting in the formation of fibrils in the heart and subsequent heart failure. This condition affects a significant portion of the elderly population, with TTR deposits present in 25% of individuals aged 80 and above. Currently, there is a lack of an accurate cell culture model to study disease progression. Ryan’s project aims to optimize cell culture conditions by generating induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes and 3D-organoids to better replicate disease conditions. This improved model will facilitate the development of more effective therapeutics for treating ATTR-CM.