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Heart transplants are done as a life-saving measure for end-stage heart failure when medical treatment and less drastic surgery have failed. Fortunately, most heart transplant recipients (about 90 percent) can come close to resuming their normal daily activities; however, donor hearts are in short supply. NIH-supported scientists have been able to grow heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes) from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). They compared cardiomyocytes derived from iPSCs with cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). All cardiomyocytes in the study were derived using an embryoid body (EB) method. Both iPSC- and hESC-derived cardiomyocytes showed a reduction in gene expression for OCT4 and NANOG (known to regulate pluripotency) as they differentiated. However, pluripotency gene expression was more variable in iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. Both types of cardiomyocytes demonstrated heart muscle–specific characteristics, such as organized bands of contraction proteins, and electrical activity that causes them to spontaneously contract. Overall, the iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes are very similar to hESC-derived cardiomyocytes. Due to the short supply of donor hearts for transplantation, these iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes may one day provide an important treatment for the substantial number of people with heart disease. By reprogramming their own skin cells into cardiomyocytes for repairing their heart muscle, patients can avoid the immune-suppressing drugs that accompany traditional heart transplant. Scientists also hope that the derived cardiomyocytes will be useful for testing potential drugs and for understanding the underlying cause of heart disease. Circulation Research advance online publication, laboratory of T. Kamp. 2009 Feb 12.

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