title: Cell and gene therapy for severe heart failure patients: the time and place for Pim-1 kinase.
abstract: Regenerative therapy in severe heart failure patients presents a challenging set of circumstances including a damaged myocardial environment that accelerates senescence in myocytes and cardiac progenitor cells. Failing myocardium suffers from deterioration of contractile function coupled with impaired regenerative potential that drives the heart toward decompensation. Efficacious regenerative cell therapy for severe heart failure requires disruption of this vicious circle that can be accomplished by alteration of the compromised myocyte phenotype and rejuvenation of progenitor cells. This review focuses upon potential for Pim-1 kinase to mitigate chronic heart failure by improving myocyte quality through preservation of mitochondrial integrity, prevention of hypertrophy and inhibition of apoptosis. In addition, cardiac progenitors engineered with Pim-1 possess enhanced regenerative potential, making Pim-1 an important player in future treatment of severe heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Heart Institute, Integrated Regenerative Research Institute, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sailay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siddiqi
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sussman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000517:prevention & control; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000378:metabolism; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1