Efficient Differentiation of TBX18

The epicardium promotes neovascularization and cardiomyocyte regeneration by generating vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and producing regenerative factors after adult heart infarction. It is therefore a potential cell resource for repair of the injured heart. However, the epicardium also participates in fibrosis and scarring of the injured heart, complicating its use in regenerative medicine. In this study, we report coexpression of TBX18 and WT1 in the majority of epicardial cells during mouse embryonic epicardial development. Furthermore, we describe a convenient chemically defined, immunogen-free, small molecule-based method for generating TBX18