Beating Heart Cells in a Lab Dish: Creating New Tissue Instead of Transplanting Hearts, Vienna University of Technology Study

Embryonic stem cells can develop into any kind of tissue. Adult stem cells can still turn into different kinds of cells, but their differentiation potential is significantly reduced. "The mechanisms influencing the differentiation of stem cells into tissues are still far from being understood," says Professor Marko Mihovilovic (Vienna University of Technology). However, his research group has now managed to synthesize substances which control the differentiation process. Progenitor cells can be turned into heart cells, which eventually start beating in the petri dish.