Journal Article

Cardiac Progenitor Cells: The Matrix Has You

Castaldo, Clotilde, Chimenti, Isotta

2018

Overview

Summary Components of the cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) are synthesized by residing cells and are continuously remodeled by them. Conversely, residing cells (including primitive cells) receive constant biochemical and mechanical signals from the ECM that modulate their biology. The pathological progression of heart failure affects all residing cells, inevitably causing profound changes in ECM composition and architecture that, in turn, impact on cell phenotypes. Any regenerative medicine approach must aim at sustaining microenvironment conditions that favor cardiogenic commitment of therapeutic cells and minimize pro‐fibrotic signals, while conversely boosting the capacity of therapeutic cells to counteract adverse remodeling of the ECM. In this Perspective article, we discuss multiple issues about the features of an optimal scaffold for supporting cardiac tissue engineering strategies with cardiac progenitor cells, and, conversely, about the possible antifibrotic mechanisms induced by cell therapy. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2018;7:506–510

• Publisher: Oxford University Press,John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subject: Binding sites / Biomechanics / Biomedical materials / Cardiac Stem/Progenitor Cells / Cardiogenesis / Cell Delivery Strategies / Collagen / Congestive heart failure / Extracellular matrix / Extracellular Matrix - metabolism / Fibroblasts / Fibrosis / Health aspects / Heart / Heart - physiology / Heart failure / Humans / Mechanical properties / Mechanical stimuli / Mechanisms of Differentiation / Mechanobiology / Myocardium - cytology / Myocardium - metabolism / Phenotypes / Physical properties / Physiology / Progenitor cells / Regeneration / Regenerative medicine / Stem Cell Transplantation / Stem cells / Stem Cells - cytology / Stem Cells - metabolism / Tissue Engineering / Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine / Tissue Specific Stem Cells / Transplantation