Stem cells and myocardial regeneration.
The belief that organs such as the heart could only undergo hypertrophy but not hyperplasia has been challenged with the discovery that differentiated cells can be constantly regenerated by stem cells (SCs). The dogma considering the heart as a post-mitotic organ has been questioned by the demonstration of continuous renewal of cardiomyocytes produced by cardiac SC differentiation and by bone marrow SCs. Several experimental models for transplantation of SCs into damaged myocardium have been developed. This new strategy is known as cellular cardiomyoplasty (CCM). CCM may be beneficial in improving cardiac function using various SC types, although many questions remain unanswered. Nonetheless, it is expected that their clinical potential will radically modify the therapeutic approach to certain cardiac diseases. In this review, we will focus on the different types of SCs tested in the heart, their advantages and limitations, and their potential therapeutic applications.
Pinto-Almeida
Teresa
T
Serviço de Fisiologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Henriques-Coelho
Tiago
T
Fortunato
José S
JS
Leite-Moreira
Adelino F
AF
D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow; D005544:Forecasting; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D012038:Regeneration; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000639:trends