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Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Diseases

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 5567

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
Interests: stem cell therapy in heart disease; mechanisms of sex hormones in modulating myocardial damage; cardiac mitochondrial response to acute myocardial injury

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Stem cell-based therapies have emerged as the very promising treatment modality in cardiovascular diseases. Despite advances in stem cell research, the efficacy of stem cell therapy for ischemic heart disease is paradoxical, as no statistically significant improvements in infarct size, cardiac function, or cardiovascular remodeling were observed in most clinical studies. The disappointing results from previous clinical trials could be caused by inappropriate delivery route, timing, cell distribution post administration, or the mechanism of action, etc.

To better understand stem cell-based therapies in cardiovascular diseases, we invite both original articles and reviews that cover (but are not limited to) the following topics:

  • Stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles/exosomes in cardiovascular repair;
  • Epigenetic modification of stem cells in cardiovascular regeneration;
  • Microenvironment in stem cell therapeutic efficacy;
  • Single-cell RNA sequencing in stem cell research;
  • Disease models using human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes;
  • Biomaterials-based delivery of stem cells in myocardial infarction;
  • Biological activities of endogenous cardiac progenitor cells after myocardial ischemia.

Dr. Meijing Wang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • stem cells
  • cardiac regeneration
  • paracrine action
  • epigenetic regulation
  • myocardial ischemia
  • extracellular vesicles/exosomes
  • iPSC

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

18 pages, 1051 KiB  
Review
Polarizing Macrophage Functional Phenotype to Foster Cardiac Regeneration
by Claudia Molinaro, Mariangela Scalise, Isabella Leo, Luca Salerno, Jolanda Sabatino, Nadia Salerno, Salvatore De Rosa, Daniele Torella, Eleonora Cianflone and Fabiola Marino
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 10747; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241310747 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1272
Abstract
There is an increasing interest in understanding the connection between the immune and cardiovascular systems, which are highly integrated and communicate through finely regulated cross-talking mechanisms. Recent evidence has demonstrated that the immune system does indeed have a key role in the response [...] Read more.
There is an increasing interest in understanding the connection between the immune and cardiovascular systems, which are highly integrated and communicate through finely regulated cross-talking mechanisms. Recent evidence has demonstrated that the immune system does indeed have a key role in the response to cardiac injury and in cardiac regeneration. Among the immune cells, macrophages appear to have a prominent role in this context, with different subtypes described so far that each have a specific influence on cardiac remodeling and repair. Similarly, there are significant differences in how the innate and adaptive immune systems affect the response to cardiac damage. Understanding all these mechanisms may have relevant clinical implications. Several studies have already demonstrated that stem cell-based therapies support myocardial repair. However, the exact role that cardiac macrophages and their modulation may have in this setting is still unclear. The current need to decipher the dual role of immunity in boosting both heart injury and repair is due, at least for a significant part, to unresolved questions related to the complexity of cardiac macrophage phenotypes. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the role of the immune system, and of macrophages in particular, in the response to cardiac injury and to outline, through the modulation of the immune response, potential novel therapeutic strategies for cardiac regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Diseases)
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15 pages, 1226 KiB  
Review
Advances in 3D Organoid Models for Stem Cell-Based Cardiac Regeneration
by Marcy Martin, Eric K. N. Gähwiler, Melanie Generali, Simon P. Hoerstrup and Maximilian Y. Emmert
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5188; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065188 - 8 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3875
Abstract
The adult human heart cannot regain complete cardiac function following tissue injury, making cardiac regeneration a current clinical unmet need. There are a number of clinical procedures aimed at reducing ischemic damage following injury; however, it has not yet been possible to stimulate [...] Read more.
The adult human heart cannot regain complete cardiac function following tissue injury, making cardiac regeneration a current clinical unmet need. There are a number of clinical procedures aimed at reducing ischemic damage following injury; however, it has not yet been possible to stimulate adult cardiomyocytes to recover and proliferate. The emergence of pluripotent stem cell technologies and 3D culture systems has revolutionized the field. Specifically, 3D culture systems have enhanced precision medicine through obtaining a more accurate human microenvironmental condition to model disease and/or drug interactions in vitro. In this study, we cover current advances and limitations in stem cell-based cardiac regenerative medicine. Specifically, we discuss the clinical implementation and limitations of stem cell-based technologies and ongoing clinical trials. We then address the advent of 3D culture systems to produce cardiac organoids that may better represent the human heart microenvironment for disease modeling and genetic screening. Finally, we delve into the insights gained from cardiac organoids in relation to cardiac regeneration and further discuss the implications for clinical translation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stem Cells and Cardiovascular Diseases)
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