Comparing Beating Heart Muscle Cells (VIDEO)

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

Caption

Microtubules (in blue) in beating human heart cells. On the left is a heart cell from a normal, non-failing (NF) donor, while on the right is a heart cell from a patient with heart failure (dilated cardiomyopathy, DCM). The greater density of buckling microtubules in the failing heart cells contributes to both slowed contraction and relaxation.

Credit

Ben Prosser, Ph.D., Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

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