Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited

Asubio Pharma Co. Ltd.

Kayoko Kawashima

Ryuichi Morishita

Mayumi Furuya

Naruto Katsuragi

Uichi Koshimizu

Keijiro Sugimura

Tomofumi Tanaka

Michinori Kadokura

The present invention provides a method for inducing differentiation of cardiomyocytes efficiently and selectively from stem cells. A method for inducing differentiation of cardiomyocytes from pluripotent stem cells, which comprises: (i) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a culture medium containing no substance that promotes activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway during the time period between initiation of differentiation induction and 24 hours before the period of elevated canonical Wnt gene expression; and then (ii) culturing the pluripotent stem cells in a culture medium containing a substance that promotes activation of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway during a time period of 24 to 96 hours, starting from 24 to 0 hours before the period of elevated canonical Wnt gene expression.

Method for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes

The present invention provides methods for screening drugs inhibiting the expression of OSF-2 gene or the production or function of the protein encoded thereby and therapeutic agents for heart failure having such effects. Useful methods for diagnosing heart failure can be provided by monitoring the expression or variation of said gene or the production of the protein encoded thereby. The present invention also provides transgenic animals with forced expression of OSF-2 gene and methods for studying changes in gene expression or protein production or the functions of various genes or proteins with the progress of the pathology of heart failure using them and novel therapeutic agents for heart failure.

Remedies for heart failure

Growing community of inventors

Takatsuki, Japan

Kayoko Kawashima