负责人：薛志宏

PI: Xue Zhihong

心脏是维持人体正常生命活动不可或缺的重要器官，其发育过程受复杂的信号调控网络控制。在心脏发育过程中，心脏祖细胞在各种细胞因子、诱导信号及核心转录因子构成的调控网络中的时间和空间的精确调控下，最终分化为组成心脏的各种类型细胞。如果内在基因水平变异或外界发育环境变化影响了该过程中的任何环节，则都可能造成先天性心脏发育不良。然而，目前我们对于该过程的认识还非常有限。

我们将通过小鼠、人胚胎干细胞及诱导多功能干细胞体外定向分化为心脏谱系细胞的实验体系和小鼠体内遗传谱系示踪实验体系，致力于心脏祖细胞的细胞命运决定的新调控因子及其分子作用机理的研究。这些研究将不仅有助于更深入了解心脏的发育及心脏疾病的发生发展过程，而且为先天性心脏病诊断治疗、药物干预新靶点的研究开辟新途径。

Heart is one ofthe most important organs to human’s life, of which the development requiresprecise regulatory gene network. During heart development, cardiac progenitorcells differentiate into the various types of cells that make up the heart withthe precise guide of diverse cytokines, induction signals and coretranscription factors spatially and timely. The disruption of any developmentalsteps due to gene mutations or developmental environment changes leads tocongenital heart disease. However, our knowledge in the field is still verylimited.

We aims to interrogatenovel regulators and their regulatory mechanisms of the cell fate decision ofcardiac progenitor cells though mouse/human embryonic stem cells and inducedpluripotent stem cells directed in vitrodifferentiation system and in vivolineage tracing system. These studies will not only help understand the heartdevelopment and pathogenesis of cardiac disease, but also provide new insightsfor cardiac disease diagnose and drug intervention.