Chapter 13.2 - Human Cardiomyocytes from Embryonic Stem Cells: Windows to Human Biology and Elements for Regeneration

Abstract

This chapter provides a brief overview of human embryonic stem cells, and explores their use as systems to understand basic developmental biology and physiology of the human heart. It summarizes the initial work in cardiac repair done with these cells, and closes with thoughts on a possible roadmap to clinical translation. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent cells derived from the inner cell mass of blastocyst-stage embryos. Mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) have been studied for several decades, and have provided major advances in the developmental of biology and gene function in the adult organism. The single greatest application of mouse embryonic stem cells has been in studies of gene function through homologous recombination. These studies were made possible by the remarkable ability of genetically-modified embryonic stem cells to incorporate into all tissues of a developing mouse after injection into a blastocyst, followed by the ability of resulting chimeric mice to pass the genetic modification via the germline. Embryonic stem cells have also been useful tools for understanding molecular events controlling differentiation into the early germ layers and more distal branches of the developmental tree. Over the last 15 years an increasing number of groups have become interested in the use of mouse embryonic stem cells as a cell source to treat murine models of cell deficiency.