Generation and Application of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are a powerful technology with established applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, drug testing and discovery, and developmental biology. The in vitro generation of human cardiomyocytes has progressed rapidly over the last 15 years, and cardiac differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) is now a simple and routine process for many laboratories, generating contracting fetal-like cardiomyocytes that recapitulate a variety of known cardiovascular disease phenotypes. Here we discuss the history and existing knowledge in the field on the generation of cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem cells. We cover the potential clinical and investigational applications of hPSC-CMs, as well as the role of the pluripotent state in differentiation, and current methodologies for differentiation, purification, directed cardiomyocyte subtype specification and maturation, and large-scale production. We conclude with a discussion on the future of the field.