In vitro stem cell differentiation into cardiomyocytes

Recent developments in the field of regenerative stem cell therapy for ischaemic heart disease have lead to an explosion in the clinical trial realm. At present no consensus exists regarding, amongst others, the optimal cell type as well as the underlying mechanism of action for any clinical improvement observed. As de novo reconstitution of myocardial tissue from multipotent stem cells is one of the working theories, the transdifferentiation potential of cellular populations under investigation into cardiomyocyte lineage phenotypes must ideally be assessed in preclinical bench work. Culture medium composition and a variety of growth factors are crucial determinants in this process. We discuss all relevant data acquired from in vitro work.