DEVELOPMENT OF BEATING CARDIOMYOCYTES FROM CAPRINE FETAL STEM CELL

摘要

The potential use of stem cells seems endless. The ability to isolate, culture and directing stem cells (both ES and EG cells) to form specialized cells in vitro, is widening up their use in treating different hereditary and congenital disorders (Passier and Mammery 2003). Currently, stem cells are being manipulated for generation of different types of neurons for treatment of Alzheimer"s disease, spinal cord injuries, or Parkinson"s disease. They are also being used for production of heart muscle cells for use in congenital heart disorders or for heart attack victims. Human ES cells have been observed to be directed into cardiomyocytes when co-cultured with visceral endoderm-like cells (END-2) (Boheler et al. 2002). Protocols for the in vitro differentiation of ES cells into cardiomyocytes representing all specialized cell types of the heart, such as atrial-like, ventricular-like, sinus nodal-like, and Purkinje-like cells, have been established. During differentiation, cardiac-specific genes as well as proteins, receptors, and ion channels are expressed in a developmental continuum, which closely recapitulates the developmental pattern of early cardiogenesis.