Alternative splicing dynamics during human cardiac development in vivo and in vitro

Cardiomyocytes differentiated in vitro from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs) are increasingly used in studies of disease mechanisms, drug development, toxicity testing, and regenerative medicine. Alternative splicing (AS) plays a pivotal role in cardiac development. However, the extent to which iPSC-CMs recapitulate native cardiac splicing patterns remains poorly understood. Here, we provide a comprehensive temporal map of AS regulation during human cardiac development. iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes globally recapitulate the transcriptome of prenatal cardiomyocytes, yet their splicing profiles remain heterogeneous, with certain events reflecting early embryonic patterns and others resembling those of later-stage fetal hearts. Moreover, we uncover altered splicing events in iPSC-CMs, including mis-splicing of splicing factors. In conclusion, we present a resource of AS dynamics throughout human cardiac development and a catalog of splicing markers to assess cardiomyocyte maturation in vitro. Our findings provide critical insights into the limitations of iPSC-CM models and their utility in cardiovascular research.