Commitment and differentiation of cardiac myocytes.

This article reviews what is known about the earliest stages of heart development focusing on the periods of commitment and differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells and their molecular regulation. The pathway from precursor to differentiated cardiac myocyte is crucial to forming a normal, functional heart. Congenital cardiac abnormalities are some of the most common, estimated at 5-8 per 1000 live births worldwide. These conditions affect mortality and morbidity of patients as infants, children, and adults. Knowledge of what steps are critical to normal heart development would lead to earlier diagnosis and possibly repair of these defects.