Year 1
In this application, we propose to study the growth and differentiation properties of an authentic endogenous human cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) that can differentiate into cardiac muscle cells, smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells. We have isolated these multipotent CPCs from human ventricles and human induced pluripotent cells and compared therie differentiation potential. Additionally, we have characterized a cardiac niche in the developing heart, demonstrated that both the extracellulat matrix molecules and the three dimensional environment is important for CPC renewal. We believe these experiments will significantly advance out understanding of the biology of CPCs and facilitate their application as a regenerative therapy.