Heart Disease: A giant disruption of the heart

Certain forms of heart failure originate from genetic mutations. Understanding how the culprit mutant proteins alter normal heart function could lead to more effective treatments. One candidate is the giant protein tintin, which is mutated in a subset of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Through a combination of patient-derived stem cells, tissue engineering, and gene editing, Hinson et al. found that disease-associated titin mutations disrupt the function of the contractile unit in heart muscle. As a result, the heart does not respond properly to mechanical and other forms of stress. Paula A. Kiberstis

Science, this issue p. 982