Cardiac Differentiation from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

现在，在适合大型实验或小型临床试验的规模上，指导多能人类干细胞向心肌细胞的分化是可能的。尽管取得了这一成功，但我们对信号通路如何汇聚到细胞核以控制心脏分化的理解仍存在很大差距。此外，干细胞衍生的心肌细胞目前处于胎儿成熟阶段，可能不太适合模拟成人疾病或组织修复。项目3通过以下目标来解决这些问题。在Aim 1中，我们探索了通过ChlPseq实验确定的三种候选心脏发育新调控因子的生物学特性。这些包括两个转录因子（MEIS2和H0XB2）和一个新的Wnt/b-catenin

It is now possible to direct the differentiation of pluripotent human stem cells into cardiomyocytes at a scale suitable for large experiments or small clinical trials. Despite this success, there are large gaps in our understanding of how signaling pathways converge on the nucleus to control cardiac differentiation. Furthermore, stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes are currently at a fetal stage of maturity, which may be poorly suited for modeling adult diseases or tissue repair. Project 3 addresses these issues with the following aims. In Aim 1, we explore the biology of three candidate novel regulators of heart development identified by ChlPseq experiments. These include two transcription factors (MEIS2 and H0XB2) and a novel Wnt/b-catenin regulating protein (TMEM88). The genes will be knocked down in differentiating hESCs and in developing zebrafish embryos to determine their roles in cardiac differentiation and morphogenesis. In Aim 2 we will utilize two lines of genetically modified hESCs that activate fluorescent protein expression when they differentiate to mesoderm (BRACHYURY knock-in) or first heart field cells (TBX5 knock-in). We will determine how their fates become restricted during differentiation in 2D and 3D culture and after transplantation in vivo. Additionally, we will use a Wnt/b-catenin reporter to track how this pathway positively and negatively regulates formation of these key cell types. Aim 3 addresses the issue of cardiomyocyte maturation, beginning by exploring the role of 4 candidate miRNAs that are up-regulated during maturation. Next we will identify novel maturation-associated miRNAs through RNA-seq, and we will assess their function using over-expression, depletion and novel miRNA sensors.