Cardiac specification of embryonic stem cells

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. As an 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. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.