title: Allogeneic cardiosphere-derived cells for myocardial regeneration: current progress and recent results.
abstract: Early-phase clinical testing of autologous cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs) has yielded intriguing results, consistent with therapeutic myocardial regeneration. However, autologous therapy is associated with significant technical, timing, economic and logistic constraints, prompting researchers to explore the potential of allogeneic CDC therapy. CDCs exhibit a favorable immunologic antigenic profile and are hypoimmunogenic in vitro. Preclinical studies in immunologically mismatched animals demonstrate that allogeneic CDC transplantation without immunosuppression is safe and produces sustained functional and structural benefits through stimulation of endogenous regenerative pathways. Currently, allogeneic human CDCs are being tested clinically in the ALLSTAR and DYNAMIC trials. Potential establishment of clinical safety and efficacy of allogeneic CDCs combined with generation of highly standardized, 'off-the-shelf' allogeneic cellular products would facilitate broad clinical adoption of cell therapy.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Cardiology, University of Athens School of Medicine, 67 Mikras Asias Street, 11 527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kapelios
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Cardiology, University of Athens School of Medicine, 67 Mikras Asias Street, 11 527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Nanas
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Cardiology, University of Athens School of Medicine, 67 Mikras Asias Street, 11 527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Malliaras
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D012038:Regeneration; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
keywords: allogeneic cells; cardiosphere-derived cells; cell therapy; heart regeneration; heart repair