title: The future of stem cells: Should we keep the "stem" and skip the "cells"?
abstract: There is accumulating evidence that the cardioprotective effects of stem cells are predominantly mediated by the release of a blend of factors, possibly clustered into extracellular vesicles, which harness endogenous repair pathways. The clinical translation of this concept requires the identification of the cell-secreted signaling biomolecules and an appropriate transfer method. The study by Wei and colleagues has addressed these 2 requirements by showing that the epicardial delivery of a collagen patch loaded with the cardiokine follistatin-like 1 improved left ventricular function in animal models of myocardial infarction. Beyond the choice of the factor and its vehicle, these data may open a new therapeutic path whereby the functionalization of biomaterials by bioactive compounds could successfully substitute for the current cell transplantation-based strategy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, University Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité; and INSERM U 970, Paris, France. Electronic address: philippe.menasche@aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Menasché
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004337:Drug Carriers; D038702:Follistatin-Related Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012038:Regeneration; D044968:Regenerative Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D038702:Follistatin-Related Proteins
keywords: biomaterials; heart failure; paracrine signaling effects by; stem cells