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Updated: Feb 17, 2026

Generation of Murine Cardiac Pacemaker Cell Aggregates Based on ES-Cell-Programming in Combination with Myh6-Promoter-Selection
Published on: February 17, 2015
Transcription factor TBX18 promotes adult rat bone mesenchymal stem cell differentiation to biological pacemaker
Yanjun Li1, Mei Yang1, Gege Zhang1
1Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Cardiology, Wuhan, Hubei 430060, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are currently considered the optimal stem cells for biological pacemaker cell transformation. The cardiac‑specific transcription factor T‑Box protein 18 (TBX18) is essential for sinoatrial node (SAN) formation, particularly formation of the head region that generates the electrical impulses that induce heart contraction. The present study aimed to confirm the effects of TBX18 on biological pacemaker differentiation of rat BMSCs. Flow cytometry was used to identify the surface markers of BMSCs, in order to acquire pure mesenchymal stem cells. Subsequently, BMSCs were transduced with TBX18 or green fluorescent protein adenovirus vectors. The effects of TBX18 were evaluated using SAN‑specific makers including TBX18, α‑actin, cardiac troponin I, hyperpolarization‑activated cyclic nucleotide‑gated channel 4 and connexin 43 by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and immunofluorescence. The findings demonstrated that direct conversion of BMSCs to biological pacemaker cells via TBX18 is a feasible method in the field of cardiology.
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