Multiple roads to the heart and head muscles

Our research focuses on understanding mammalian organ development, with a focus on the development of the heart and head muscles, by studying mouse gastrulation. We identify multipotent progenitors expressing Mesp1 during this phase, which contribute to both muscle types. Investigating their migration, we’ve found distinct signaling landscapes and identified essential effectors influencing progenitor migration. Additionally, we’re using gastruloids, an in vitro model mimicking gastrulation, to study cardiac and skeletal muscle development, highlighting their potential for investigating congenital diseases affecting cell lineages.