Cardiac stem cells

Abstract

Augmentation of myocardial performance in experimental models of therapeutic infarction and heart failure has been achieved by the transplantation of exogenous cells into damaged myocardium, a procedure known as cellular cardiomyoplasty (CCM). Historically, a wide range of cell types have been used for CCM, including rat and human fetal ventricular myocytes, but the availability of human fetal donor cells for clinical purposes is limited. The quest for suitable alternative donor cells has prompted research into the use of both embryonic stem (ES) cells and adult somatic stem cells, but the optimal choice of donor cell source is not yet known. Recently, there has been a growing body of evidence that multipotent somatic stem cells in adult bone marrow exhibit tremendous functional plasticity and can reprogramme in a new environmental tissue niche to give rise to cell lineages specific for the new organ site. This phenomenon has made a huge impact on myocardial biology and has captured the imagination of scientists who have recently discovered that multipotent adult bone marrow haematopoeitic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells can repopulate infarcted rodent myocardium and differentiate into both cardiomyocytes and new blood vessels. These data, coupled with the identification of a putative primitive cardiac stem cell population in the adult human heart, may pave the way for novel therapeutic modalities for enhancing myocardial performance and treating end-stage cardiac disease.

CXCR4 modulates contractility in adult cardiac myocytes

“…A novel and exciting potential methodology to reverse myocardial remodeling associated with myocardial infarction [46] is regeneration of myocardium using bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal cells, endothelial progenitor cells and endogenous cells [47][48][49][50]. Given its essential role in BM homing and recruitment [49,51], CXCL12 is a candidate to promote stem cells recruitment to the heart. Because CXCR4 may negatively impact myocardial function, strategies [52] that primarily employ up-regulation of CXCL12 may need to be examined more closely.…”

The epicardium and epicardially derived cells (EPDCs) as cardiac stem cells

“…Recent studies indicate a significant contribution of stem cells, likely of bone marrow origin, to the homeostasis and/or repair of the adult heart (Jackson et al, 2001;Orlic et al, 2001;Hughes, 2002;Laflamme et al, 2002;Quaini et al, 2002). In addition, the existence of a socalled myocardial stem cell population has been suggested (Hierlihy et al, 2002), but it is not clear how this population contributes to the respective established cardiac cell types in the heart, nor has the origin/phenotype of these cells been properly described.…”

Regeneration of dystrophin-expressing myocytes in the mdx heart by skeletal muscle stem cells

“…[7][8][9][10] Cellular cardiomyoplasty, a procedure involving the transplantation of exogenous cells into the heart, is a possible approach by which to regenerate diseased myocardium, deliver therapeutic genes, and improve cardiac function. 11 Researchers have investigated the use of various cell types for cardiac repair, including cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, embryonic stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, bone marrow-derived cells, hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, smooth muscle cells, skeletal muscle-derived cells, 12 and the recently identified cardiac stem cells. [13][14][15][16][17] Notably, numerous research groups have found that skeletal muscle-derived cells can successfully engraft in the heart and improve cardiac performance in animal models.…”