Human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes: Therapeutic potentials and limitations

Abstract

Embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines, derived from the inner cell mass (ICM) of blastocyst-stage embryos, are pluripotent and have a virtually unlimited capacity for self-renewal and differentiation into derivatives of all three germ layers. Human ESCs (hESCs), in particular, are the subject of intensive investigation for potential applications in developmental biology and medicine. A promising aspect of hESCs is their ability to differentiate into cardiomyocytes (CMs), which generally lack the capacity to regenerate, and therefore their potential for cell-replacement heart therapies. Molecular, cellular and physiological analyses demonstrate that hESC-derived CMs are functionally viable and that they exhibit characteristics typical of heart cells in the early stages of cardiac development. This article reviews the current state of hESC-CM research, their therapeutic potentials and limitations. © 2006 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.