News & Publications
The current status and future of cardiac stem/progenitor cell therapy for congenital heart defects from diabetic pregnancy
Abstract Pregestational maternal diabetes induces congenital heart defects (CHDs). Cardiac dysfunction after palliative surgical procedures contributes to the high mortality of CHD patients. Autologous or allogeneic stem cell therapies are effective for improving...
A Deep Proteome Analysis Identifies the Complete Secretome as the Functional Unit of Human Cardiac Progenitor Cells
Abstract Rationale—Cardiac progenitor cells are an attractive cell type for tissue regeneration but their mechanism for myocardial remodeling is still unclear. Objective—This investigation determines how chronological age influences the phenotypic characteristics and...
Young Hearts Run Free: Therapeutic Potential of Neonatal Human Cardiac Progenitor Cells Secretome
Abstract Stem cell hypothesis of aging postulates that youthful stem cells have better intrinsic ability to repair/regenerate after an injury. Consistent with this hypothesis, current report by Sharma et al observed nCPCs transplantation post-MI was associated with...
Stem Cell Therapy For Congenital Heart Disease: Toward Translation
Abstract Stem cell therapy has the optimistic goal of regenerating the myocardium as defined by regrowth of lost or destroyed myocardium. As applied to patients with heart failure, many confuse or limit the regenerative definition to just improving myocardial function...
Pediatric End-Stage Failing Hearts Demonstrate Increased Cardiac Stem Cells
Abstract Background—We sought to determine the location, expression, and characterization of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) in children with end-stage heart failure (ESHF). We hypothesized ESHF myocardium would contain an increased number of CSCs relative to age-matched...
Cardiosphere Derived Cells from Pediatric End-Stage Heart Failure Patients Have Enhanced Functional Activity due to the Heat Shock Response Regulating the Secretome
Abstract We have demonstrated that human neonatal cardiosphere derived cells (CDCs) derived from the young are more regenerative due to their robust secretome. However, it is unclear how the decompensated pediatric heart impacts the functional activity of their CDCs....
Celastrol, an oral heat shock activator, ameliorates multiple animal disease models of cell death
Abstract Protein homeostatic regulators have been shown toameliorate single, loss-of-function protein diseases but not totreat broader animal disease models that may involve celldeath. Diseases often trigger protein homeostatic instabilitythat disrupts the delicate...
A Strong Regenerative Ability of Cardiac Stem Cells Derived From Neonatal Hearts
Abstract Background—Human stem cells (CSCs) promote myocardial regeneration in adult ischemic myocardium. The regenerative capacity of CSCs in the very young patients with non-ischemic congenital heart defects has not been explored. We hypothesized that isolated...
Characterization and Functionality of Cardiac Progenitor Cells in Congenital Heart Patients
Abstract Background—Human cardiac progenitor cells (hCPCs) may promote myocardial regenerationin adult ischemic myocardium. The regenerative capacity of hCPCs in young patients withnonischemic congenital heart defects for potential use in congenital heart defect...