Mouse embryonic stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes in a cell culture dish

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent stem cells capable of self-renewal and have broad differentiation potential yielding cell types from all three germ layers. In the absence of differentiation inhibitory factors, when cultured in suspension, ES cells spontaneously differentiate and form three-dimensional cell aggregates termed embryoid bodies (EBs). Although various methods exist for the generation of EBs, the hanging drop method offers reproducibility and homogeneity from a predetermined number of ES cells. Herein, we describe the in vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into cardiac myocytes using the hanging drop method and immunocytochemistry to identify cardiomyogenic differentiation. In brief, ES cells, placed in droplets on the lid of culture dishes following a 2-day incubation, yield embryoid bodies, which are resuspended and plated. 1-2 weeks following plating of the EBs, spontaneous beating areas can be observed and staining for specific cardiac markers can be achieved.