Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: HCN2

Title: Recreating the biological pacemaker.

Authors: Michael R Rosen, Richard B Robinson, Peter Brink, Ira S Cohen

Journal, date & volume: , 2004 Oct , 280, 1046-52

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15372435

Abstract
In recent years, several groups have reported a variety of strategies for developing biological pacemakers whose ultimate function would be to supplement/replace electronic pacemakers. Strategies have included gene therapy using naked plasmids or viral vectors and cell therapy for which both adult human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and human embryonic stem cells have been employed. This article reviews the various approaches and summarizes our own research in which the pacemaker gene, HCN2, is administered via viral vector or in an hMSC platform to produce pacemaker function in the intact canine heart.