Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Mannheim, European Center for Angioscience,
Welcome to the Ploidy and Organ Physiology Laboratory
Mitotic rat cardiomyocytes in culture (green: tubulin, magenta: DNA)
Dissociated cardiomyocytes from a mouse heart
Cardiomyocyte undergoing furrow ingression. Red: RhoA, Green: cardiomyocytes, Blue: DNA
Mitotic rat cardiomyocytes in culture (green: tubulin, magenta: DNA)
​​Why some cells multiply their genome and become polyploid during their life cycle (i.e., somatic polyploidy)? How does somatic polyploidy influence cellular behavior and organ function?
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We study cardiomyocytes - cardiac muscle cells responsible for the contractile function of the heart. BUT, not all cardiomyocytes are equal! In regenerative organisms like zebrafish, cardiomyocytes are predominantly diploid. In non-regenerative organisms like rodents and humans, cardiomyocytes are mostly polyploid.
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We want to understand
(a) How mammalian cardiomyocytes become polyploid?
(b) How polyploidy affects cardiomyocyte and heart function?
(c) Inducing cardiomyocyte cytokinesis as a therapeutic approach?
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CONTACT US
European Center for Angioscience
Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 13-17, 68167, Mannheim