Cardiac Tissue
Development of heart-on-chip systems with integrated electrical and mechanical sensors for studying cardiac physiology, drug cardiotoxicity, and disease mechanisms using human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes in 3D microenvironments.
Healthy Cardiac Tissue
Our lab develops advanced heart-on-chip platforms that recapitulate the key features of healthy myocardial tissue. Using human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes organized in 3D constructs under cyclic mechanical stimulation, we recreate the contractile function, electrophysiology, and calcium handling of the native heart. These models serve as baselines for drug testing and disease studies.
Cardiac Fibrosis
We engineer fibrotic heart models by co-culturing cardiomyocytes with activated cardiac fibroblasts in controlled microenvironments. These platforms allow us to study the progressive stiffening and functional impairment caused by fibrosis, and to screen anti-fibrotic compounds in a physiologically relevant setting.
Cardiac Fibrosis — image coming soon
Genetic Diseases
Leveraging patient-derived iPSCs carrying specific genetic mutations, we create personalized cardiac models of inherited cardiomyopathies. These organ-on-chip systems enable the study of disease phenotypes such as arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, paving the way for precision medicine approaches.
Genetic Diseases — image coming soon
Related Publications
Fibrotic extracellular matrix impacts cardiomyocyte phenotype and function in an iPSC-derived isogenic model of cardiac fibrosis
Niro, F., Fernandes, S., Cassani, M., Apostolico, M., Oliver-De La Cruz, J. et al.
In Vitro Mechanical Stimulation to Reproduce the Pathological Hallmarks of Human Cardiac Fibrosis on a Beating Chip and Predict The Efficacy of Drugs and Advanced Therapies
Visone, R., Paoletti, C., Cordiale, A., Nicoletti, L., Divieto, C. et al.
LivHeart: a Multi Organ-on-chip platform to study off-target cardiotoxicity of drugs upon liver metabolism
Ferrari, E., Visone, R., Monti, E., Torretta, E., Moretti, M. et al.
Predicting human cardiac QT alterations and pro-arrhythmic effects of compounds with a 3D beating heart-on-chip platform
Visone, R., Lozano-Juan, F., Marzorati, S., Rivolta, M.W., Pesenti, E. et al.
Functional microvascularization of human myocardium in vitro
King, O., Cruz-Moreira, D., Sayed, A., Kermani, F., Kit-Anan, W. et al.
Current strategies of mechanical stimulation for maturation of cardiac microtissues
Carlos-Oliveira, M., Lozano-Juan, F., Occhetta, P., Visone, R., Rasponi, M.
Micro-electrode channel guide (µECG) technology: An online method for continuous electrical recording in a human beating heart-on-chip
Visone, R., Ugolini, G.S., Cruz-Moreira, D., Marzorati, S., Piazza, S. et al.
Assessing the influence of perfusion on cardiac microtissue maturation: A heart-on-chip platform embedding peristaltic pump capabilities
Cruz-Moreira, D., Visone, R., Vasques-Nóvoa, F., Barros, A.S., Leite-Moreira, A. et al.
A dynamic microscale mid-throughput fibrosis model to investigate the effects of different ratios of cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts
Mainardi, A., Carminati, F., Ugolini, G.S., Occhetta, P., Isu, G. et al.
A microscale biomimetic platform for generation and electro-mechanical stimulation of 3D cardiac microtissues
Visone, R., Talò, G., Occhetta, P., Cruz-Moreira, D., Lopa, S. et al.
Enhancing all-in-one bioreactors by combining interstitial perfusion, electrical stimulation, on-line monitoring and testing within a single chamber for cardiac constructs
Visone, R., Talò, G., Lopa, S., Rasponi, M., Moretti, M.
A three-dimensional in vitro dynamic micro-tissue model of cardiac scar formation
Occhetta, P., Isu, G., Lemme, M., Conficconi, C., Oertle, P. et al.
Tailoring cardiac environment in microphysiological systems: an outlook on current and perspective heart-on-chip platforms
Ugolini, G.S., Visone, R., Cruz-Moreira, D., Redaelli, A., Rasponi, M.
Human cardiac fibroblasts adaptive responses to controlled combined mechanical strain and oxygen changes in vitro
Ugolini, G.S., Pavesi, A., Rasponi, M., Fiore, G.B., Kamm, R. et al.
Bioprinting 3D microfibrous scaffolds for engineering endothelialized myocardium and heart-on-a-chip
Zhang, Y.S., Arneri, A., Bersini, S., Shin, S.R., Zhu, K. et al.
Cardiac Meets Skeletal: What's New in Microfluidic Models for Muscle Tissue Engineering
Visone, R., Gilardi, M., Marsano, A., Rasponi, M., Bersini, S. et al.
Young at Heart: Pioneering Approaches to Model Nonischaemic Cardiomyopathy with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Gowran, A., Rasponi, M., Visone, R., Nigro, P., Perrucci, G.L. et al.
Beating heart on a chip: a novel microfluidic platform to generate functional 3D cardiac microtissues
Marsano, A., Conficconi, C., Lemme, M., Occhetta, P., Gaudiello, E. et al.
On-chip assessment of human primary cardiac fibroblasts proliferative responses to uniaxial cyclic mechanical strain
Ugolini, G.S., Rasponi, M., Pavesi, A., Santoro, R., Kamm, R. et al.
Electromechanical Stimulation of 3D Cardiac Microtissues in a Heart-on-Chip Model
Visone, R., Occhetta, P., Rasponi, M.
Generation of functional cardiac microtissues in a beating heart-on-a-chip
Ugolini, G.S., Visone, R., Cruz-Moreira, D., Mainardi, A., Rasponi, M.
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