Immortalized Human Cardiomyocytes – SV40

Human Cardiomyocytes are isolated from human heart ventricles. Their specialized high-oxygen-content with a large number of mitochondria contributes to the major role of cardiac muscles in the heart’s rhythmic pumping. Cardiomyocytes are regulated by a complex network of signals. Cardiomyocytes hypertrophy and apoptosis have been associated with the loss of contractile function during heart failure. They are ideal models for study of cytokines and cellular signaling mechanisms that lead to myocyte death, as well as for research on mechanical strain and cell-cell interaction. These SV40 large T-antigen immortalized human cardiomyocytes express GATA-4, ACTN2, ACTN3 and MYH2, as determined by PCR.