Chemical
The human heart beats almost 75 times per
minute or more than four million beats per
year. In chemical engineering faculty member
Elizabeth Lipke’s lab, hearts that have lost
their rhythm are getting a jump start. Lipke
is using induced-pluripotent stem cells to
grow heart tissue that responds to electrical
pulses, just like a beating heart. By engineering
polymers that guide these cells to become
specialized heart cells called cardiomyocytes, Lipke’s
team can form new engineered cardiac tissues that
respond in the same way as existing heart tissue. These
new tissues can also be used outside of the body to
test pharmaceuticals and their potential to produce
dangerous side effects such as cardiac arrhythmias.
For a grandmother who suffered a heart attack or
a child with a genetic hole in his heart, Lipke’s work
with engineered cardiac tissue is offering unhealthy
hearts the chance to heal.
- Auburn University Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
- Auburn, AL 36849
- Phone: 334-844-2308