Nongenetic method for purifying stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Several applications of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived cardiomyocytes require elimination of undifferentiated cells. A major limitation for cardiomyocyte purification is the lack of easy and specific cell marking techniques. We found that a fluorescent dye that labels mitochondria, tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester perchlorate, could be used to selectively mark embryonic and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, as well as mouse, marmoset and human PSC-derived cardiomyocytes, and that the cells could subsequently be enriched (>99% purity) by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Purified cardiomyocytes transplanted into testes did not induce teratoma formation. Moreover, aggregate formation of PSC-derived cardiomyocytes through homophilic cell-cell adhesion improved their survival in the immunodeficient mouse heart. Our approaches will aid in the future success of using PSC-derived cardiomyocytes for basic and clinical applications.