title: Cell therapy, 3D culture systems and tissue engineering for cardiac regeneration.
abstract: Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) still represents the "Number One Killer" worldwide accounting for the death of numerous patients. However the capacity for self-regeneration of the adult heart is very limited and the loss of cardiomyocytes in the infarcted heart leads to continuous adverse cardiac-remodeling which often leads to heart-failure (HF). The concept of regenerative medicine comprising cell-based therapies, bio-engineering technologies and hybrid solutions has been proposed as a promising next-generation approach to address IHD and HF. Numerous strategies are under investigation evaluating the potential of regenerative medicine on the failing myocardium including classical cell-therapy concepts, three-dimensional culture techniques and tissue-engineering approaches. While most of these regenerative strategies have shown great potential in experimental studies, the translation into a clinical setting has either been limited or too rapid leaving many key questions unanswered. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-art, important challenges and future research directions as to regenerative approaches addressing IHD and resulting HF.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Center of Regenerative Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland; Division of Surgical Research, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maximilian Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Emmert
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Hitchcock
authors.affiliation: Swiss Center of Regenerative Medicine, Zurich, Switzerland; Division of Surgical Research, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Heart Center Zurich, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: simon_philipp.hoerstrup@usz.ch.
authors.forename: Simon P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Hoerstrup
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000502:physiology; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D044968:Regenerative Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends
keywords: Bioreactors; Cardiac cell therapy; Cardiac tissue engineering; Myocardial regeneration; Stem cells; Three dimensional culture systems