Pluripotent-Stem-Cell-Derived Epicardial Cells: A Step toward Artificial Cardiac Tissue

Epicardial cells are crucial for heart development, function, and regeneration, but methods to study them have been lacking. Using WNT and BMP signaling pathways, Witty et al. (2014) have now developed an elaborate method to generate fully functional epicardial cells from human pluripotent stem cells, allowing their in vitro investigation. Epicardial cells are crucial for heart development, function, and regeneration, but methods to study them have been lacking. Using WNT and BMP signaling pathways, Witty et al. (2014) have now developed an elaborate method to generate fully functional epicardial cells from human pluripotent stem cells, allowing their in vitro investigation.