title: Progenitor cells from the explanted heart generate immunocompatible myocardium within the transplanted donor heart.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic rejection, accelerated coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and ischemic heart failure determine the unfavorable evolution of the transplanted heart in humans.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Here we tested whether the pathological manifestations of the transplanted heart can be corrected partly by a strategy that implements the use of cardiac progenitor cells from the recipient to repopulate the donor heart with immunocompatible cardiomyocytes and coronary vessels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A large number of cardiomyocytes and coronary vessels were created in a rather short period of time from the delivery, engraftment, and differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells from the recipient. A proportion of newly formed cardiomyocytes acquired adult characteristics and was integrated structurally and functionally within the transplant. Similarly, the regenerated arteries, arterioles, and capillaries were operative and contributed to the oxygenation of the chimeric myocardium. Attenuation in the extent of acute damage by repopulating cardiomyocytes and vessels decreased significantly the magnitude of myocardial scarring preserving partly the integrity of the donor heart.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that tissue regeneration by differentiation of recipient cardiac progenitor cells restored a significant portion of the rejected donor myocardium. Ultimately, immunosuppressive therapy may be only partially required improving quality of life and lifespan of patients with cardiac transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kajstura
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosoda
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bello
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosna
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bardelli
authors.forename: Hanqiao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Amario
authors.forename: M Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Padin-Iruegas
authors.forename: Adriana Bastos
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: Michael O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Zembala
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rimoldi
authors.forename: Konrad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Urbanek
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Michler
authors.forename: Annarosa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leri
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anversa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002459:Cell Fusion; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000166:cytology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006648:Histocompatibility; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology*; D012038:Regeneration / Q000276:immunology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins