Formation of human myocardium in the rat heart from human embryonic stem cells.

ABSTRACT: Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) offer the opportunity to replenish cells lost in the postinfarct heart. We explored whether human myocardium could be generated in rat hearts by injecting differentiated cardiac-enriched hESC progeny into the left ventricular wall of athymic rats. Although initial grafts were predominantly epithelial, noncardiac elements were lost over time, and grafts consisted predominantly of cardiomyocytes by 4 weeks. No teratomatous elements were observed. Engrafted cardiomyocytes were glycogen-rich and expressed expected cardiac markers including beta-myosin heavy chain, myosin light chain 2v, and atrial natriuretic factor. Heat-shock treatment improved graft size approximately threefold. The cardiac implants exhibited substantial angiogenesis, both recipient and gr

SUBMITTER: Laflamme MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1698736 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature