Recent Progress in Stem Cell Modification for Cardiac Regeneration

Figure 1

Strategies for improving SC-based therapy in CVD treatment. (I) Multipotent adult SCs and pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic SCs and iPSCs, represent the most widely explored cell types for cardiac regeneration. Novel approaches encompass the generation of synthetic particles (“synthetic stem cells”), mimicking stem cell properties. (II) To enhance their therapeutic activity, multiple strategies have been developed and tested in vivo, in some cases reaching clinical trials. While nongenetic modifications are mainly based on the preconditioning with environmental or pharmacological agents, genetic cell engineering utilizes modification on the DNA or posttranscriptional level (miRNA). In addition, the application of cells with supportive biomaterials has proven to greatly increase SC efficiency. The applied strategies positively influence the resistance of SC to the harsh ischemic microenvironment of the damaged heart tissue. Likewise, increased paracrine activity, homing and differentiation capacity, and enhanced proangiogenic activity are common targets for cell improvement. (III) Following successful modification of SC products, optimized administration routes and targeting approaches are developed to ensure proper cell delivery and engraftment.