Human cardiomyocyte progenitor cells differentiate into functional mature cardiomyocytes: an in vitro model for studying human cardiac physiology and pathophysiology

摘要

To date, there is no suitable in vitro model to study human adult cardiac cell biology. Although embryonic stem cells are able todifferentiate into cardiomyocytes in vitro, the efficiency of this process is very low. Other methods to differentiate progenitor cellsinto beating cardiomyocytes rely on coculturing with rat neonatal cardiomyocytes, making it difficult to study human cardiomyocytedifferentiation and (patho)physiology. Here we have developed a method for efficient isolation and expansion of humancardiomyocyte progenitor cells (CMPCs) from cardiac surgical waste or alternatively from fetal heart tissue. Furthermore, we provide adetailed in vitro protocol for efficient differentiation of CMPCs into cardiomyocytes with great efficiency (80-90% of differentiation).Once CMPCs are rapidly dividing (-1 month after isolation), differentiation can be achieved in 3-4 weeks.