Rebuilding a hard-to-spot heart disease in the lab

Cardiac amyloidosis is a serious heart disease that is often diagnosed too late because its symptoms overlap with those of other cardiovascular diseases. Using laboratory models that closely resemble the disease in humans, PhD researcher Jiabin Qin at UMC Utrecht uncovered how toxic proteins damage the heart. His findings could help pave the way for a less invasive diagnosis and may also reveal new treatment options. Qin defended his PhD thesis on July 8.