Annelise Prince Rose Hills
Human Cardiomyocyte Ploidy Analysis in Intact Tissues
Cardiovascular disease is behind 1 in 5 deaths in the US due to muscle cells of the heart, cardiomyocytes, lacking regenerative abilities after injury leading to dysfunction. Understanding the composition of human heart tissue means there is a better model to understand the baseline regenerative potential of the human heart to eventually uncover novel therapeutic strategies to promote the regeneration of cardiomyocytes and decrease heart-related deaths. Inspired by a 2016 Nature paper that used thick histological samples of animal heart tissue, I will develop a procedure to estimate the true ploidy of the human heart using thick samples. I will reconcile the inconsistencies in estimations of ploidy levels of the human heart previously reported by enzymatically isolating cardiomyocytes.
Message To Sponsor
This summer research project is deeply personal to me as it allows me to advance my research on cardiovascular disease and cardiomyocyte regeneration. I am eager to develop new skills and insights that will pave the way for my future in this field. Thank you for the invaluable support!