Browsing by Subject "Oct4"

The purpose of this study is to assess if it is possible to reprogram cardiomyocytes from mouse embryonic fibroblasts by using one transgenic factor, Oct4, and a pool of small molecules added to growth medium. The Oct4 gene was conducted in mouse embryonic fibroblasts by lentiviral vectors. Samples were taken for analysis after 15, 20 and 41 days of growing the fibroblasts with small molecules. Compared to control group, no upregulation of cardiac progenitor or cardiomyocyte specific genes were observed. Concentration of Ctgf decreased in treatment cells compared to control cells, which implies that control cells continued functioning as fibroblasts more than treatment cells. The cell morphology of treatment cells changed in the direction of cardiomyocytes compared to control cells; more cylinder-like and branching compared to spindle-like fibroblasts. A different approach was also attempted, the STAP (Stimulus-Triggered Acquisition of Pluripotency) method, in which fibroblasts are exposed to acid treatment while growing. The pluripotent mRNA expression did not rise in this analysis.