Patent ID: 8513011

Claim:
An ex vivo method for culturing a cell with sarcomeric myofilaments, the method consisting of: a) culturing a mesenchymal stem cell from a human bone marrow cell population in a culture vessel with a medium comprising dexamethasone and, optionally, a supplement selected from the group consisting of insulin, an iron source, a trace element, a fatty acid, an antioxidant, transferrin, linoleic acid, selenium, and ascorbate either alone or in any combination; wherein said culturing is carried out (i) in the absence of myocytes, (ii) in a medium which is not conditioned by co-culture with other cells; and (iii) in a medium which is lacking 5-azacytidine; the presence of dexamethasone leading to differentiation of the mesenchymal stem cell, such that colonies of spindle cells are formed; and b) isolating and expanding said colonies of spindle cells thereby isolating cells with sarcomeric myofilaments and that express one or more markers selected from the group consisting of sarcomeric α-actin, sarcomeric α-actinin, desmin, skeletal/cardiac-specific titin, sarcomeric α-tropomyosin, cardiac troponin I, sarcomeric MHC, SERCA2 ATPase, connexin-43, GATA-binding protein 4, Nkx2.5, myocyte-enhancing factor 2A, myocyte-enhancing factor 2C, myocyte-enhancing factor 2D, cardiac α-actin, skeletal muscle α-actin, cardiac troponin T, cardiac troponin C, and L-type calcium α light chain.