Understanding Heart Field Progenitor Cells for Modeling Congenital Heart Diseases

Purpose of Review: Heart development is a meticulously coordinated process that involves the specification of two distinct populations of cardiac progenitor cells, namely the first and the second heart field. Disruption of heart field progenitors can result in congenital heart defects. In this review, we aim to describe the signaling pathways and transcription factors that link heart field development and congenital heart disease. Recent Findings: Single-cell transcriptomics, lineage-tracing mouse models, and stem cell-based in vitro modeling of cardiogenesis have significantly improved the spatiotemporal characterization of cardiac progenitors. Additionally, novel functional genomic studies have now linked more genetic variants with congenital heart disease. Summary: Dysregulation of cardiac progenitor cells causes malformations that can be lethal. Ongoing research will continue to shed light on cardiac morphogenesis and help us better understand and treat patients with congenital heart disease.