Adult mammalian hearts lack the ability to regenerate. In contrast, the newborn mouse heart can effectively regrow the damaged tissue. Understanding how neonatal mouse hearts regenerate following injury provides an exciting new inroad into the possible mechanisms of cardiac regeneration and repair in adults. Dr. Cui aims to use systems-level approaches to discover the basic biological mechanisms underlying neonatal heart regeneration and leverage this information to identify therapeutic targets and translate these findings into studies of human cells and therapies for heart disease patients. Dr. Cui’s research uncovered previously unknown cellular components specific to neonatal heart regeneration, which have the potential to open up new areas of research in regeneration and beyond. Dr. Cui’s research combines genetics, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, tissue 3D imaging, cardiac injury models in mice, high-throughput screening, as well as cardiac (patho)physiology. The long-term goal of her research program is to understand the mechanisms underlying the distinct reparative abilities of different cardiac cell types during neonatal heart regeneration vs. pathological remodeling in adults, and ultimately to generate a comprehensive cellular and molecular blueprint for targeting cardiac regeneration in adult humans.
Publications
Nrf1 coordinates proteasome activity and autophagy to maintain cardiac proteostasis. Commun Biol. 2026 Apr 17. View Abstract
Geographical and temporal trends of HIV-1 subtypes and drug resistance in China: a nationwide study over two decades (2003-2024). J Gen Virol. 2026 Feb; 107(2). View Abstract
Runx1 in Postn-Expressing Fibroblasts But Not Cardiomyocytes Exacerbates Adverse Cardiac Remodeling Post-Myocardial Infarction. JACC Basic Transl Sci. 2026 Feb; 11(2):101455. View Abstract
Rapid generation of functional vascular organoids via simultaneous transcription factor activation of endothelial and mural lineages. Cell Stem Cell. 2025 Aug 07; 32(8):1200-1217.e6. View Abstract
Assessment and recalibration of seventeen lung cancer risk prediction models in approximately one million Chinese population utilising healthcare big data: a retrospective cohort analysis. Lancet Reg Health West Pac. 2025 May; 58:101575. View Abstract
Conduction system regeneration and remodeling after myocardial infarction. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2025 Feb; 4(2):124-125. View Abstract
Robust differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into mural progenitor cells via transient activation of NKX3.1. Nat Commun. 2024 09 30; 15(1):8392. View Abstract
Identification of FDA-approved drugs that induce heart regeneration in mammals. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2024 03; 3(3):372-388. View Abstract
The PD-1-PD-L1 pathway maintains an immunosuppressive environment essential for neonatal heart regeneration. Nat Cardiovasc Res. 2024 Mar; 3(3):389-402. View Abstract
Transcription factor NFYa controls cardiomyocyte metabolism and proliferation during mouse fetal heart development. Dev Cell. 2023 12 18; 58(24):2867-2880.e7. View Abstract
Base editing correction of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in human cardiomyocytes and humanized mice. Nat Med. 2023 02; 29(2):401-411. View Abstract
Precise genomic editing of pathogenic mutations in RBM20 rescues dilated cardiomyopathy. Sci Transl Med. 2022 11 23; 14(672):eade1633. View Abstract
Dually stimulative single-chain polymeric nano lock with dynamic ligands for sensitive detection of circulating tumor cells. Biosens Bioelectron. 2022 Dec 01; 217:114692. View Abstract
Association of neutralizing breadth against SARS-CoV-2 with inoculation orders of heterologous prime-boost vaccines. Med. 2022 08 12; 3(8):568-578.e3. View Abstract
Nickel oxide nanoparticles dispersed on biomass-derived amorphous carbon/cobalt silicate support accelerate the oxygen evolution reaction. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2022 Jun 15; 616:476-487. View Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 immunity and functional recovery of COVID-19 patients 1-year after infection. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2021 10 13; 6(1):368. View Abstract
Nrf1 promotes heart regeneration and repair by regulating proteostasis and redox balance. Nat Commun. 2021 09 06; 12(1):5270. View Abstract
Cardiac Myoediting Attenuates Cardiac Abnormalities in Human and Mouse Models of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Circ Res. 2021 09 03; 129(6):602-616. View Abstract
Dynamic Transcriptional Responses to Injury of Regenerative and Non-regenerative Cardiomyocytes Revealed by Single-Nucleus RNA Sequencing. Dev Cell. 2020 Dec 07; 55(5):665-667. View Abstract
Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study Shows Early Interferon Therapy Is Associated with Favorable Clinical Responses in COVID-19 Patients. Cell Host Microbe. 2020 09 09; 28(3):455-464.e2. View Abstract
Protocol for Single-Nucleus Transcriptomics of Diploid and Tetraploid Cardiomyocytes in Murine Hearts. STAR Protoc. 2020 09 18; 1(2):100049. View Abstract
Dynamic Transcriptional Responses to Injury of Regenerative and Non-regenerative Cardiomyocytes Revealed by Single-Nucleus RNA Sequencing. Dev Cell. 2020 04 06; 53(1):102-116.e8. View Abstract
Mechanistic basis of neonatal heart regeneration revealed by transcriptome and histone modification profiling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 09 10; 116(37):18455-18465. View Abstract
Conformational manipulation of scale-up prepared single-chain polymeric nanogels for multiscale regulation of cells. Nat Commun. 2019 06 20; 10(1):2705. View Abstract
The Long Noncoding RNA Pnky Is a Trans-acting Regulator of Cortical Development In Vivo. Dev Cell. 2019 05 20; 49(4):632-642.e7. View Abstract
Genetic and epigenetic regulation of cardiomyocytes in development, regeneration and disease. Development. 2018 12 20; 145(24). View Abstract
T follicular helper cells restricted by IRF8 contribute to T cell-mediated inflammation. J Autoimmun. 2019 01; 96:113-122. View Abstract
Identification of a multipotent Twist2-expressing cell population in the adult heart. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 09 04; 115(36):E8430-E8439. View Abstract
