Tiny cell “antennas” may help explain why some babies are born with heart defects

A newly discovered communication system in the microscopic “antennae” of cells may help explain how some congenital heart defects develop. When genetic mutations disrupt this system, the effects may extend beyond the heart to organs including the brain, kidneys, and skeleton. Tiny cell “antennas” may help explain why some babies are born with heart defects.

Yet scientists are still working to understand exactly why these heart abnormalities develop. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have now identified a previously unknown cellular mechanism that may provide an important part of the explanation. "We have discovered a new communication system on the exterior of the cell that is crucial for the proper formation of the heart during embryonic development.

This finding changes our understanding of why some congenital heart defects arise. You could say that we have identified an important cog in a highly complex machine," says Lars Allan Larsen, an expert in congenital heart disease and Professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. A Tiny Cellular Antenna Helps Guide Heart Development The newly identified mechanism operates within the primary cilium, a microscopic antenna-shaped structure that extends from the surface of most cells in the body.