Stem cells and their potential in cell-based cardiac therapies.
Stem cells are potential agents for the treatment of myocardial infarcts among other heart diseases. Over the past decade, the scientific community has extensively used a wide variety of cells and examined their capacity to both regenerate the infarcted myocardium and improve functionally the diseased hearts. Some of the cells used include skeletal myoblasts, bone marrow-derived cells, adult cardiac resident stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and both mouse and human embryonic stem cells (Nat Biotechnol 2005;23:845-856). The reported cardiogenic capacity of the utilitized stem cells is assayed both in vitro through the use of differentiation paradigms and in vivo through transplantation into a variety of animal models of cardiac disease. The purpose of this review article is to summarize recent stem cell applications in cell-based cardiac therapies and their outcomes.
Christoforou
Nicolas
N
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Institute for Cell Engineering, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. nicolas@jhmi.edu
Gearhart
John D
JD
D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation; D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000502:physiology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D032386:Myoblasts, Cardiac / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation; D032448:Myoblasts, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology / Q000637:transplantation; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D012038:Regeneration; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome