title: c-kit(+) cells: the tell-tale heart of cardiac regeneration?
abstract: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Although ongoing therapeutic strategies ameliorate symptoms and prolong life for patients with cardiovascular diseases, they do not solve the critical issue related to the loss of cardiac tissue. Accordingly, stem/progenitor cell therapy has emerged as a paramount approach for cardiac repair and regeneration. In this regard, c-kit(+) cells have animated much interest and controversy. These cells are self-renewing, clonogenic, and multipotent and display a noteworthy potential to differentiate into all cardiovascular lineages. However, their functional contribution to cardiomyocyte turnover is one of the centrally debated issues concerning their regenerative potential. Regardless, plentiful preclinical and clinical studies have been conducted which provide evidence for the capacity of c-kit(+) cells to improve cardiac function. The purpose of this review is to give a comprehensive, impartial, critical description and evaluation of the literature on c-kit(+) cells from bench to bedside in order to address their true potential, benefits and controversies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Vascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Centro Cardiologico Monzino-IRCCS, Via Parea 4, 20138, Milan, Italy, patrizia.nigro@ccfm.it.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nigro
authors.forename: Gianluca Lorenzo
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Perrucci
authors.forename: Aoife
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gowran
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zanobini
authors.forename: Maurizio C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Capogrossi
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pompilio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012038:Regeneration; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit