Cardiac precursors in human bone marrow and cord blood: in vitro cell cardiogenesis.
BACKGROUND
Cell transplantation has come of age but numerous questions still remain. Which type of cell should be used? Cardiac precursors are present in mouse bone marrow and used to repair the infarcted myocardium in mice. We searched for these precursors in human bone marrow and analyzed gene expression patterns in cells induced to differentiate in vitro.


METHODS
Cells from human bone marrow were isolated and cultured in medium supplemented with autologous serum and 5% CO2. Cell characterization was performed by immunocytochemical analysis. mRNA was isolated and retrotranscribed. The active genes were detected with polymerase chain reaction by using specific oligonucleotides.


RESULTS
Some inducers pushed the cell through different stages of cardiogenesis, with expression of cardiac transcriptional activators and structural proteins. Some combinations of stimuli were able to drive cells to advanced stages of cardiogenesis.


CONCLUSIONS
These studies lead to an exact description of in vitro cardiogenesis in humans. Our aim was also to assess the residual proliferative capacity of cells and to enhance the differentiation efficiency, thus maximizing their repair capacity and the likelihood that they functionally integrate with the surrounding cardiac tissue.
Vanelli
Paolo
P
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, L. Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy. p.vanelli@hsacco.it
Beltrami
Silvia
S
Cesana
Eugenio
E
Cicero
Deborah
D
Zaza
Antonio
A
Rossi
Edoardo
E
Cicirata
Federico
F
Antona
Carlo
C
Clivio
Alberto
A
D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018740:Genetic Heterogeneity; D006801:Humans; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
D012333:RNA, Messenger