APCs from vein remnants of CABG patients express antioxidant defense mechanisms, which enable them to resist stress. These properties highlight the potential of APCs in cardiovascular regenerative medicine.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are attractive tools for regenerative medicine because of their multidifferentiation potential and immunomodulation capacity. In congenital heart defect surgical correction, replacement grafts lacking growth potential are commonly used. Tissue engineering promises to overcome the limitations of these grafts. In this study, we hypothesized that human thymus-derived MSCs are a suitable tool to tissue engineer a living vascular graft with good integration and patency once implanted in vivo. Human thymus-derived MSCs (hT-MSCs) were identified by the expression of MSC markers and mesenchymal differentiation potential. When cultured onto natural scaffold to produce tissue-engineered graft, hT-MSCs exhibited great proliferation potential and the ability to secrete their own extracellular matrix. In addition, when implanted in vivo in a piglet model of left pulmonary grafting, the engineered graft exhibited good integration within the host tissue, indicating potential suitability for corrective cardiovascular surgery. The optimized xeno-free, good manufacturing practices-compliant culture system proved to be optimum for large-scale expansion of hT-MSCs and production of tissue-engineered cardiovascular grafts, without compromising the quality of cells. This study demonstrated the feasibility of engineering clinical-grade living autologous replacement grafts using hT-MSCs and proved the compatibility of these grafts for in vivo implantation in a left pulmonary artery position.

Current vascular replacement grafts used in congenital heart defect corrective surgery have poor longevity and growth potential. Recipient patients often require multiple reoperations. Tissue engineering has the promise to produce a graft with the potential to grow, remodel and repair. Here we aimed at developing an amnion-based scaffold suitable for cardiovascular tissue engineering applications and in vivo usage. The developed human amnion-based scaffold was made by an enzymatic decellularization process followed by freeze-drying as a single or multi-layered structure. These structures were compared to native amnion for seeded cell viability and biomechanical properties then tested for in vivo biocompatibility. Our results demonstrated that while native amnion tissue supported little cell growth, the decellularized-amnion allowed cell engraftment and proliferation cell survival. Additionally, preservation of the scaffold by freeze-drying as a single layer, allowed further improved cell engraftment and cell growth. Multi-layering the freeze-dried amnion-scaffolds resulted in a similar cell growth potential of the single layered construct but superior mechanical strength. The multi-layered construct showed in vitro biocompatibility with endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, cardiac myocytes, and thymus and cord-blood-derived MSCs. When implanted in a piglet model of left pulmonary artery grafting, the multi-layered construct showed its in vivo suitability and biocompatibility for vascular repair as demonstrated by the development of newly formed endothelium in the intima, a smooth muscle cell-rich medial layer and an adventitia containing new vasa vasorum. endothelial cell layer in the inner side of the graft and a smooth muscle layer in the outer side. In conclusion, our developed amnion-derived scaffold represents an off-the-shelf biocompatible structure that can be seeded with the patient's own MSCs to produce an autologous vascular graft.

RV hypertrophy (RVH) is one of the triggers of RV failure in congenital heart disease (CHD). Therefore, improving our understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of this pathology will help in developing strategic therapeutic interventions to enhance patient benefit in the future. This review describes the potential mechanisms that underlie the transition from RVH to RV failure. In particular, it addresses structural and functional remodelling that encompass contractile dysfunction, metabolic changes, shifts in gene expression and extracellular matrix remodelling. Both ischaemic stress and reactive oxygen species production are implicated in triggering these changes and will be discussed. Finally, RV remodelling in response to various CHDs as well as the potential role of biomarkers will be addressed.

Lack of growth potential of available grafts represents a bottleneck in the correction of congenital heart defects. Here we used a swine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) graft functionalized with mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), for replacement of the pulmonary artery in piglets. MSCs were expanded from human umbilical cord blood or new-born swine peripheral blood, seeded onto decellularized SIS grafts and conditioned in a bioreactor to differentiate into VSMCs. Results indicate the equivalence of generating grafts engineered with human or swine MSC-derived VSMCs. Next, we conducted a randomized, controlled study in piglets (12–15 kg), which had the left pulmonary artery reconstructed with swine VSMC-engineered or acellular conduit grafts. Piglets recovered well from surgery, with no casualty and similar growth rate in either group. After 6 months, grafted arteries had larger circumference in the cellular group (28.3 ± 2.3 vs 18.3 ± 2.1 mm, P < 0.001), but without evidence of aneurism formation. Immunohistochemistry showed engineered grafts were composed of homogeneous endothelium covered by multi-layered muscular media, whereas the acellular grafts exhibited a patchy endothelial cell layer and a thinner muscular layer. Results show the feasibility and efficacy of pulmonary artery reconstruction using clinically available grafts engineered with allogeneic VSMCs in growing swine.

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread rapidly, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide, multiple efforts are being made by the international scientific community to understand the pathogenesis of the viral infection and its clinical outcome. Older age and comorbidities have consistently been reported as risk factors for unfavorable prognosis, with cardiovascular disease accounting for up to 10 % of comorbid conditions among the infected patients. An understanding of the mechanism underlying the effect of this infection on patients with cardiovascular disease is essential to manage and improve clinical strategies against the disease in that population. In this review, we summarize the impact of COVID-19 on patients with underlying cardiovascular conditions and the cardiac implications of known and emerging therapeutic strategies. Our future effort will aim to further elucidate how the type and severity of the cardiac disease, with particular regard to Congenital Heart Disease, influences the prognosis and the outcome of the viral infection.

Background We have previously reported the possibility of using pericytes from leftovers of palliative surgery of congenital heart disease to engineer clinically certified prosthetic grafts. Methods and Results Here, we assessed the feasibility of using prosthetic conduits engineered with neonatal swine pericytes to reconstruct the pulmonary artery of 9‐week‐old piglets. Human and swine cardiac pericytes were similar regarding anatomical localization in the heart and antigenic profile following isolation and culture expansion. Like human pericytes, the swine surrogates form clones after single‐cell sorting, secrete angiogenic factors, and extracellular matrix proteins and support endothelial cell migration and network formation in vitro. Swine pericytes seeded or unseeded (control) CorMatrix conduits were cultured under static conditions for 5 days, then they were shaped into conduits and incubated in a flow bioreactor for 1 or 2 weeks. Immunohistological studies showed the viability and integration of pericytes in the outer layer of the conduit. Mechanical tests documented a reduction in stiffness and an increase in strain at maximum load in seeded conduits in comparison with unseeded conduits. Control and pericyte‐engineered conduits were then used to replace the left pulmonary artery of piglets. After 4 months, anatomical and functional integration of the grafts was confirmed using Doppler echography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and histology. Conclusions These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using neonatal cardiac pericytes for reconstruction of small‐size branch pulmonary arteries in a large animal model.

The materials available for the Right Ventricular Outflow Tract (RVOT) reconstruction in patients with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)/pulmonary atresia come with the severe limitation of long-term degeneration and lack of growth potential, causing right ventricular dysfunction, aneurysm formation and arrhythmias, thus necessitating several high-risk reoperations throughout patients' life.In this study, we evaluated the capacity of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) derived from the Wharton's Jelly (WJ-MSCs), the gelatinous inner portion of the umbilical cord, to grow and recellularize an extracellular matrix (ECM) graft in our optimised xeno-free, good manufacturing practice-compliant culture system. WJ-MSCs were phenotypically and functionally characterised by flow cytometry and multi-lineage differentiation capacity, respectively. The typical MSCs immunophenotype and functional characteristics were retained in our xeno-free culture system, as well as the capacity to grow and engraft onto a naturally occurring scaffold. Wharton's Jelly MSCs, from both human and swine source, showed excellent capacity to recellularize ECM graft producing a living cell-seeded construct.In addition, we have provided an in vivo proof of concept of feasibility of the cellularised conduit, engineered with swine Wharton's Jelly MSCs, to be used in a novel porcine model of main pulmonary artery reconstruction, where it showed good integration within the host tissue.Our study indicates that the addition of WJ-MSCs to the ECM scaffold can upgrade the material, converting it into a living tissue, with the potential to grow, repair and remodel the RVOT. These results could potentially represent a paradigm shift in paediatric cardiac intervention towards new modalities for effective and personalised surgical restoration of pulmonary artery and RVOT function in TOF/pulmonary atresia patients.