title: Cardiac specification of embryonic stem cells.
abstract: Over the past decade, cell transplantation has been recognized as a mean of repairing infarcted myocardium. Both adult stem cells and differentiated cells have yielded encouraging results with regard to engraftment into postinfarction scars. However, these cells now feature serious restrictions. Asan alternative, embryonic stem (ES) cells are particularly attractive, because of their plasticity and the subsequent possibility to drive them towards a cardiomyogenic phenotype after exposure to appropriate growth factors. An additional theoretical advantage of ES cells is their expected immune privilege. In this article, we summarize the findings obtained in cell therapy using ES cells and discuss the molecular mechanisms of cardiac specification of the cells.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches de Biochimie Macromoléculaire, CNRS FRE 2593, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ménard
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grey
authors.forename: Annabelle
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Méry
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zeineddine
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aimond
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pucéat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D012038:Regeneration; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation