title: Pivotal advances: high-mobility group box 1 protein--a cytokine with a role in cardiac repair.
abstract: The nuclear protein high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) has been largely characterized for its role in inflammation. However, HMGB1 released by inflammatory cells, as well as by necrotic cells, may also act as a signal of tissue damage and participate in tissue repair by recruiting stem cells to the injury site. The emergence of this function has focused the interest on HMGB1 as a molecule with an active role in tissue regeneration. We recently demonstrated that HMGB1 administration in a mouse model of myocardial infarction activates cardiac stem cells and promotes their differentiation into cardiomyocytes. The regenerative effect results in the improvement of cardiac function. In this review, we highlight the beneficial role of HMGB1 and discuss growth factor-based therapeutic approaches for the treatment of myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Biologia Vascolare e Terapia Genica, Centro Cardiologico Fondazione Monzino, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Germani
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Limana
authors.forename: Maurizio C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Capogrossi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D024243:HMGB1 Protein