Spanish researchers have employed for the first time adult cells extracted from a human heart to turn stem cells from adipose tissue into cardiac myocytes. In other words, they achieved to "reprogram" adult stem cells, which might improve treatments for heart disease therapeutical.
At present, the use of stem cells in treatments for heart disease is one of the most common practices. However, working with stem cells without targeting heart tissue negatively affects the efficacy of treatments. Therefore, inducing cell differentiation into cardiac muscle (cardiomyocytes) may be one of the best options in the treatment of these pathologies.
For the purpose of this study, researchers isolated adult human stem cells from lipoaspiration. Subsequently, these cells were temporarily permeabilized and exposed to a human-auricle cell extract. Then, these cells were recovered in culture.
Morphological Changes
After 21 days in culture, the cells differentiated towards a cardiac myocyte phenotype, which was demonstrated by expression of morphological changes (appearance of binuclear cells with striated fibers and ramifications), detection of cardiospecific markers through inmunofluorescence, and the presence of cardiac muscle-related genes that were analysed through RT-PCR; and finally, by expression of reverse transcription. Thus, mesenchimal stem cells acquired a cardiac phenotype.