Multipotent stem cells of the heart—do they have therapeutic promise?

Abstract

The last decade has brought a comprehensive change in our view of cardiac remodeling processes under both physiological and pathological conditions, and cardiac stem cells have become important new players in the general mainframe of cardiac homeostasis. Different types of cardiac stem cells show different capacities for differentiation into the three major cardiac lineages: myocytes, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. Physiologically, cardiac stem cells contribute to cardiac homeostasis through continual cellular turnover. Pathologically, these cells exhibit a high level of proliferative activity in an apparent attempt to repair acute cardiac injury, indicating that these cells possess (albeit limited) regenerative potential. In addition to cardiac stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells represent another multipotent cell population in the heart; these cells are located in regions near pericytes and exhibit regenerative, angiogenic, antiapoptotic, and immunosuppressive properties. The discovery of these resident cardiac stem cells was followed by a number of experimental studies in animal models of cardiomyopathies, in which cardiac stem cells were tested as a therapeutic option to overcome the limited transdifferentiating potential of hematopoietic or mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow. The promising results of these studies prompted clinical studies of the role of these cells, which have demonstrated the safety and practicability of cellular therapies for the treatment of heart disease. However, questions remain regarding this new therapeutic approach. Thus, the aim of the present review was to discuss the multitude of different cardiac stem cells that have been identified, their possible functional roles in the cardiac regenerative process, and their potential therapeutic uses in treating cardiac diseases.

Developments in the management of Chagas cardiomyopathy

“…As stem cell therapy has been used increasingly often for other cardiomyopathies (for review see [136,137]), a number of studies have now applied variations of this strategy in rodent models of chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy and a small number of clinical trials have begun. One strategy for therapy is to use the entire population of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs), which contains hematopoietic progenitors and also mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are capable of differentiating into multiple cell types including cardiac myocytes and endothelial cells.…”

Immunotolerant Properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Updated Review

“…Vesicles isolated from bone marrow derived MSCs demonstrated neoangiogenesis and improved function in ischemic rat hearts [ 58 ]. There is potential for these vesicles to be isolated from cardiac stem cells [ 59 ].…”

ATP-induced Ca2+-signalling mechanisms in the regulation of mesenchymal stem cell migration

“…They have the potential of differentiating to neuron, astrocyte and oligodendrocyte, three major cell types in the nervous system and, therefore, are critical in neurogenesis [ 22 ]. Cardiac stem or progenitor cells (CSC/CPC) in the heart can generate myocyte, smooth muscle and endothelial cell [ 23 , 24 ]. Mesenchymal stem cells or multipotent stromal cells (MSC), present in the connective tissue that surrounds other tissues and organs, exhibit differentiation into multiple cell types, including osteoblast, adipocyte, chondrocyte, and potentially muscle cell, myocyte, neuron and glial cell [ 25 – 28 ].…”