Stem Cells and Their Derivatives: A Renaissance in Cardiovascular Translational Research

Moving from the bench to the bedside is an expensive and arduous journey with a high risk of failure. One roadblock on the path of translational medicine is the paucity of predictive in vitro models available during preclinical drug development. The ability of human embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to generate virtually any tissue of the body, in vitro, makes these cells an obvious choice for use in drug discovery and translational medicine. Technological advancements in the production of stem cells and their differentiation into relevant cell types, such as cardiomyocytes, has permitted the utility of these cells in the translational medicine setting. In particular, the derivation and differentiation of patient-specific iPS cells will facilitate an understanding of basic disease etiology, enable better drug efficacy and safety screens, and ultimately lead to personalized patient therapies. This review will focus on recent advancements in the derivation and differentiation of human ES and iPS cells into cardiomyocytes and their uses in safety testing and modeling human disease.