We recently reported that the “tension” inside stem cells plays a decisive role in how they become mesodermal tissue (Fort et al, BioRxiv 2025). While the WNT pathway normally drives this process, too much internal force blocks it. By lowering tension, stem cells respond better to WNT, switch on key genes faster, and more efficiently take the first steps toward becoming heart cells. We aim to further push this analysis in 3D model of early development (gastruloid) and in congenital heart defect-patient derived stem cells.
