Apopulationofcardiacprogenitorcellsfromtheadultmyocardiumbasedontheirexpressionofstemcellantigen-1(Sca-1)hasbeenidentified.
1Thesecellsexpressmostcardiogenictranscriptionfactorsbutlackexpressionofcardiacstructuralgenes.Aftertreatmentwith5-azacytidine,cardiacdifferentiationwasinducedinSca-1
+cells
invitro.Inaddition,thispopulationhomedtotheinjuredmyocardiumupongraftinginanischemia/reperfusionmousemodelfollowingbycardiacdifferentiationandfusiontothehostmyocardium.ThemajorityofSca-1
+cellsintheadultmouseheartco-expresstheendothelial
MarkerCD31.
1,2IthasbeenshownthatonlytheCD31
-butnotCD31
+populationexhibitfunctionalcardiomyogenicdifferentiation.
2Inconclusion,Sca-1
+/CD31
-cellsrepresentadistinctcardiacprogenitorcellpopulation,capableofdifferentiationintomaturecardiomyocytes.