title: Efficient cardiomyogenic differentiation of embryonic stem cell by fibroblast growth factor 2 and bone morphogenetic protein 2.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells, the specific control of their cardiomyogenic differentiation remains difficult. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether growth factors may efficiently enhance the in vitro cardiac differentiation of ES cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recombinant growth factors at various concentrations or their inhibitors were added according to various schedules during the cardiomyogenic differentiation of ES cells. Cardiomyogenic differentiation was assessed by mRNA and protein expressions of several cardiomyocyte-specific genes. Basic fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and/or bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) efficiently enhanced the cardiomyogenic differentiation, but only when they were added at the optimal concentration (1.0 ng/ml in FGF-2 and 0.2 ng/ml in BMP-2; relatively lower than expected in both cases) for the first 3 days. Inhibition of FGF-2 and/or BMP-2 drastically suppressed the cardiomyogenic differentiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FGF-2 and BMP-2 play a crucial role in early cardiomyogenesis. The achievement of efficient cardiac differentiation using both growth factors may facilitate ES cell-derived cell therapy for heart diseases as well as contribute to developmental studies of the heart.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology, Respiratory and Nephrology, Regeneration and Advanced Medical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esaki
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ushikoshi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagano
authors.forename: Hisayoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.forename: Ken-Ichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kosai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017931:DNA Primers; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D051379:Mice; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C525719:Bmp2 protein, mouse; D055396:Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D012313:RNA