Year 1

This goal of this project is to improve the yield of pacemaking cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) that can be used to engineer biopacemaker. We have demonstrated that manipulation of the membrane potential of hiPSCs using small molecules can upregulate genes of the desired cell type progressing to the pacemaking cells at all differentiation stages. In the differentiation stage to mesodermal cells, treated hiPSCs exhibit a membrane potential that is further down the differentiation path than untreated control. This source was this change was examined.