Disease modelling using pluripotent stem cells: Breaking New Ground Ep 1 by Women in Science@LKCMedicine Podcast published on 2022-03-01T06:40:32Z Breaking new ground, a podcast series by LKCMedicine Women in Science – by women, on women, for all. In a world where they are still under-represented, several female scientists have emerged as movers and shakers in their fields. Some are breaking new ground across various disciplines. What issues and challenges do they face? Will more step forward to follow those who have made seminal contributions? Who are the rising talents? This new podcast series by Women in Science at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine spotlights the work and successes of women scientists, alongside their challenges and aspirations. We explore what it takes to achieve high-impact research in a world where the work of women scientists have gained traction in biomedical sciences and beyond. Synopsis: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally. Each year, 17.9 million lives are lost to it. In Singapore, we experienced 33 heart attacks and 21 strokes daily on average in 2017. At this rate, it is important to understand disease mechanisms and discover new drugs. In this episode, we feature Christine Mummery, Professor of Developmental Biology at Leiden University Medical Center. She is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Science and was President of the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR). She was the first to derive human-induced cells in the Netherlands and pioneered studies on cardiovascular cell types from stem cells for disease modelling and regenerative medicine. Her work spans from creating 3D models for cardiovascular diseases using pluripotent stem cells from patients to using these models to better understand disease mechanisms and cardiotoxic effects of drugs – laying the foundations for drug discovery. Highlights of conversation: 01:12 – Pertaining to your research, the microtissue was amazing. You have achieved that structural, mechanical, metabolic maturity. Where do you see the use of this in cardiac tissue replacement therapy? 02:31 – We learn about the vascularisation of thick tissue constructs. What do you think of the innovation of these microtissues? 04:25 – (In the topic of immune cells), do we have an opportunity for organoid models? 06:20 – Most human diseases are related to the ageing process. What are your recommendations for modelling age-related diseases? 08:33 – There seems to be an increasing trend of combining engineering principles with organoid modelling. Do you see this as the way forward? 10:13 – I wanted to ask you a question about the effects of cyclic AMP. Does the application of cyclic AMP precisely mimic the effects of coupling to the fibroblasts? 11:36 – What motivated you to try co-culture cellular models to achieve cardiomyocytes maturation? What are your perspectives from the biology and physics point of view? 14:14 – 20% of scientists are women in the Netherlands. Are there facts that backed this and why is this so? 17:28 – I’m wondering if you have general advice for younger, aspiring female scientists?
