Year 3

Since the last reporting period, we have determined that pharmacologic activation of small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channel in specific differentiation stages of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can improve the yield of a population of cardiac progenitor cells that are precursors to pacemaking cardiomyocytes. This effect was mediated through calcium release from an intracellular calcium store. Activation of SK channels after the cardiac progenitor stage also increased the frequency of automaticity in hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, which is a hallmark of pacemaking cardiomyocytes.