Advances in Epicardial Biology: Insights from Development, Regeneration, and Human Cardiac Organoids.

TitleAdvances in Epicardial Biology: Insights from Development, Regeneration, and Human Cardiac Organoids.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2025
AuthorsLyu, S, Yao, AGea Chen, Xia, Y, Cao, J
JournalJ Cardiovasc Dev Dis
Volume12
Issue10
Date Published2025 Oct 02
ISSN2308-3425
Abstract

The epicardium plays a pivotal role in heart development, regeneration, and disease response through its contributions to multiple cardiac lineages and its dynamic paracrine signaling. Recent advances in lineage tracing, single-cell technologies, and, particularly, human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cardiac organoid models have illuminated the cellular heterogeneity, developmental plasticity, and intercellular crosstalk of epicardial cells with other cardiac cell types. These models have revealed conserved and divergent mechanisms of epicardial function across species, offering new insights into epicardial-myocardial-endothelial-immune interactions and the regulation of cardiac repair. This review highlights recent key findings from developmental and regenerative studies, integrating them with emerging data from human cardiac organoids to provide an updated framework for understanding epicardial biology and its therapeutic potential.

DOI10.3390/jcdd12100389
Alternate JournalJ Cardiovasc Dev Dis
PubMed ID41149260
PubMed Central IDPMC12564065
Grant List5R01HL155607-04 / NH / NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL155607 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
FMFI 241573 / / Feldstein Medical Foundation /
5R01HL166518-02 / NH / NIH HHS / United States
23TPA1077772 / / American Heart Association /
R01 HL166518 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States