Perspectives of induced pluripotent stem cells for cardiovascular system regeneration

Abstract

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great promise for basic research and regenerative medicine. They offer the same advantages as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and moreover new perspectives for personalized medicine. iPSCs can be generated from adult somatic tissues by over-expression of a few defined transcription factors, including Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-myc. For regenerative medicine in particular, the technology provides great hope for patients with incurable diseases or potentially fatal disorders such as heart failure. The endogenous regenerative potentials of adult hearts are extremely limited and insufficient to compensate for myocardial loss occurring after myocardial infarction. Recent discoveries have demonstrated that iPSCs have the potential to significantly advance future cardiovascular regenerative therapies. Moreover, iPSCs can be generated from somatic cells of patients with genetic basis for their disease. This human iPSC derivates offer tremendous potential for new disease models. This paper reviews current applications of iPSCs in cardiovascular regenerative medicine and discusses progress in modeling cardiovascular diseases using iPSCs-derived cardiac cells.

The Impact of Aging on Cardio and Cerebrovascular Diseases

“…Research has shown the existence of resident cardiac stem cells and their many homeostatic and repairing abilities [ 253 ]. These cells, like all the rest, undergo aging and as such they lose their self-renewing ability ultimately leading to overall cardiac aging and as mention before to a reduction of cardiac function [ 254 , 255 ]. Obviously, an intervention on these cells such as their replacement/transplantation or enhancement through factor-based therapies could be an innovative way to reduce overall cardiac aging.…”

Biofabrication in Congenital Cardiac Surgery: A Plea from the Operating Theatre, Promise from Science

“…Somatic cells such as fibroblasts or keratinocytes that are easy to obtain could be reprogrammed into iPSCs, which could then be differentiated into cardiomyocytes or other cell lineages [ 120 ]. However, the inherent challenges associated with the reprogramming of somatic cells into iPSCs and requirement of excellent purification systems [ 130 ] limit their widespread use at present.…”

“…A correct representation of BM, in terms of its composition, structure, and function becomes necessary to successfully utilize the developmental precursor approach. Also, the in vitro or in vivo differentiation of stem cells into CMs pre- or post-printing mimics the sequential stages of embryonic cardiac development [ 130 ]. Hence, in addition to replicating the BM by bioprinting, incorporation of three important families of growth factors that play an essential role in cardiogenesis in the right quantities and form becomes necessary.…”

Therapeutic Potential of Stem Cells Strategy for Cardiovascular Diseases

“…Since this breakthrough, various opportunities for application have been reported in cell therapy, modeling of new diseases, and studies of complex genetic features and allelic variations, as substrates for drug, in toxicity, differentiation, and regenerative medicine therapies, and in therapeutic screening [77, 78]. In addition, using the iPSCs, it is possible to differentiate into patient- and disease-specific cell types.…”