Transfer of the epicardial-cardiac organotypic culture model to support the ex vivo screening of gene therapy candidates

成年心脏在损伤后的恢复能力受到该组织内再生细胞数量少的严重限制。心外膜是心脏的最外层，含有能够回到受伤的心肌并促进其恢复的细胞。我们开发了一种创新模型，该模型基于从剩余的猪心脏组织中获得的薄片，该薄片在培养皿中模仿心外膜的行为。在这个项目中，我们将教其他研究心外膜的实验室如何在他们自己的研究中准备和使用我们的模型。我们的合作伙伴采用我们的模型将提供一种替代策略来测试他们的创新基因治疗想法，减少他们对动物进行的监管程序（手术）的使用。此外，我们将向其他几个感兴趣的实验室和从事类似科学项目的工业合作伙伴展示我们的模型，以鼓励进一步吸收和进一步减少动物使用。

The recovery capacity of the adult heart after injury is severely limited by the low number of regenerating cells within this tissue. The epicardium, the most external layer of the heart, contains cells able to home to the injured heart muscle and promote its recovery. We developed an innovative model based on thin slices obtained from leftover pig heart tissues that mimics in a dish the behaviour of the epicardium. In this project, we will teach other laboratories working on the epicardium how to prepare and use our model in their own research.The adoption of our model by our partners will provide an alternative strategy to test their innovative gene therapy ideas, reducing their use of regulated procedures (surgeries) performed on animals. In addition, we will present our model to several other interested laboratories and industrial partners working on similar science projects in order to encourage further uptake and further reduction of animal use.