The scientific aim of InduHeart is to produce novel comparative information on the generation, maintenance, characteristics of iPS cells in mouse and on their differentiation towards the cardiac lineage. InduHeart will also employ mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell lines to develop innovative methods for the targeted preparation of differentiated cardiac muscle cells. The characteristics of cardiomyocytes generated from iPS and Embryonic Stem (ES) cells will be compared and their ability to report disease phenotypes and drug responses faithfully will be investigated. Technical focus will be generating a novel and potentially patentable technology in Europe for reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic state without the use of viral constructs, which have a perceived risk for future cell based therapy. This will lead towards the generation of iPS cells in a more predictable, controlled and safer way than previously. Overall, the results are expected to provide novel information on the pathways and differentiation events leading to a high percentage of cardiomyocytes in the special supplement based mouse ES cell differentiation system. These cardiomyocytes can serve also as useful tools for high-throughput screenings for pharmacological studies including efficacy, safety, and toxicology. InduHeart will contribute to the field of modern tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.