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| Week of July 21, 2014This week’s Science First highlights an exciting human-relevant heart model that was developed by scientists at Coventry University in the United Kingdom. Dr. Helen Maddock, an expert in cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology, spent nearly ten years developing the “work-loop assay,” an in vitro model examining heart contraction with human heart tissue.
In this system, human heart tissue is attached to a rig which allows it to be lengthened and shortened during electrical stimulation. This activity is designed to model the biomechanical properties of heart muscle. The model can then be used to screen drugs for any adverse effects they may have on the tissue. While animals are currently used for the safety screening of new drugs, they do not accurately predict heart-related side effects of drugs that may occur in humans. Therefore, efforts to improve drug screening with human-relevant models may have two benefits: reducing the use of animals in research while better protecting patients from the harmful effects of new drugs. According to Dr. Maddock, “Both the pharma industry and regulators recognise that existing methods of assessing the contractility of the heart are fraught with problems, so we’re incredibly excited to be able to introduce a new way to accurately determine the safety of drugs in respect of the heart without the need to test on humans or animals.” What do you think of this week’s article and the development of a clinically-relevant heart model that may spare animal lives? Send your questions and comments to sciencecorner@navs.org. I look forward to hearing from you. –Dr. Pam Osenkowski, Director of Science Programs |
| New technique uses ‘simulated’ human heart to screen drugs July 21, 2014A Coventry University scientist has developed a pioneering new way – using samples of beating heart tissue – to test the effect of drugs on the heart without using human or animal trials.For more information see: EurekAlert!
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