Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007; 55 - MP_71
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-967427

Autonomously contracting human cardiomyocytes generated from adult human pancreatic stem cells preferably after cocultivation with human myocardium

NW Guldner 1, C Kruse 2, J Kajahn 2, M Klinger 3, HH Sievers 1
  • 1University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Clinic of Cardiac Surgery, Lübeck, Germany
  • 2Fraunhofer-Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Group of Cell Differenciation and Cell Technology at University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
  • 3University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Institute of Anatomy, Lübeck, Germany

Aims: It was recently found that human adult pancreatic stem cells are able to form tissue of all three germ layers. We assumed that mesenchymal cells from this tissue differentiate into cardiomyocytes, potentially promoted in coculture with human myocardial biopsies.

Methods: Adult stem cells were harvested from pancreatic tissue of patients undergoing operative procedures due to pancreatic diseases. The cells were selected, cultured and passaged. To promote self-differentiation concerning cell density and their activation, adult pancreatic stem cells became cocultivated with biopsies of human myocardium. After coculture cells were phenotyped on RNA, protein and electrone-microscopic level for cardiomyocyte specificy.

Results: We could show that human adult stem cells differentiate into autonomously contracting cardiomyocytes. Cocultures with biopsies of human myocardium could increase number and activation of cardiomyocytes. They were to identify by immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR and electrone microscopy and showed autonomous contractions of 20 beats per minute in netlike cell clusters in between 14–40 days having been cocultured for 48h.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first report demonstrating the feasibility of inducing autonomously contracting cardiomyocytes from adult human stem cells. The differentiation of human adult pancreatic stem cells enhanced by a cardiomyocyte coculture system might become a clinically relevant autologous source of regenerative tissue for the repair of irreversible damaged myocardium.