title: Cellular therapy and myocardial tissue engineering: the role of adult stem and progenitor cells.
abstract: Acquired cardiovascular diseases and complex congenital heart diseases are leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Cellular therapy and tissue engineering are emerging as promising alternative approaches to treat cardiovascular diseases. Cellular therapy involves isolating cells and delivering the cells to the site of cardiac injury to restore blood flow and contractility to previously infarcted, scarred or dysfunctional heart. Myocardial tissue engineering, engineered heart tissue by seeding cells in three-dimensional matrices of biodegradable polymers or cell sheet engineering without artificial scaffolds to form new myocardial constructs. Questions are common to both these approaches, such as the best cell source and optimal conditions for therapeutic application. The capabilities of stem cells for pluripotency and long-term self-renewal make it an ideal source for myocardial tissue engineering and cell therapy. We review the current understanding of postnatal adult stem and progenitor cells in cellular therapy and myocardial tissue engineering from a surgical view point, and highlight the latest advances in these exciting fields.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Cardiac Center, Department of Surgery, Cardiovascular Institute and Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, 167 Beilishi Road, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Kai Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ying Long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhong Chao
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000628:therapy; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*