Engineered Stem Cells Survive Longer and Improve Outcomes in a Heart Patch

In most cell therapies, the transplanted cells do not survive for long, or in large numbers. They produce beneficial effects, such as reduced inflammation or enhanced regeneration, via signaling that changes the behavior of native cell populations. Considerable effort is going into finding ways to make cells used in therapy survive for a longer period of time following transplantation. The approach taken here is to engineer a fraction of the transplanted cells to produce a growth factor that improves the survival of the others. The results are demonstrated in an animal model, showing a greater regeneration of heart muscle. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) have been considered as one of the most promising cell sources for cell-based cardiac regeneration therapy because of their proven safety and notable paracrine effects to secrete numerous antiapoptotic and angiogenic growth factors, which enabled them to be a more competitive agent for clinical applications. However, unlike promising results obtained from preclinical models of myocardial infarction (MI), recent multiple meta-analyses have debated whether the therapeutic potential of hMSC treatment is sufficient. While these clinical trials successfully demonstrated the feasibility and safety of hMSC treatment, the researchers were unable to show significant functional benefit. In response, diverse approaches have been attempted to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of hMSCs in treating MI. For instance, ge...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs