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Harnessing Epicardial Progenitor Cells and Their Derivatives for Rescue and Repair of Cardiac Tissue After Myocardial Infarction

  • Molecular Biotechnology of Adult Stem Cells (G Stein, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Molecular Biology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Ischemic heart disease and stroke lead to the greatest number of deaths worldwide. Despite decreased time to intervention and improvements in the standard of care, one out of five patients who survive a myocardial infarction (MI) still face long-term chronic heart failure and a 5-year mortality rate of about 50%. Based on their multi-potency for differentiation and paracrine activity, epicardial cells and their derivatives have potential to rescue jeopardized tissue and/or promote cardiac regeneration. Here, we review the diagnosis and treatment of MI, basic epicardial cell biology, and potential treatment strategies designed to harness the reparative properties of epicardial cells.

Recent Findings

During cardiac development, epicardial cells covering the surface of the heart generate migratory progenitor cells that contribute to the coronary vasculature and the interstitial fibroblasts. Epicardial cells also produce paracrine signals required for myocardial expansion and cardiac growth. In adults with myocardial infarction, epicardial cells and their derivatives provide paracrine factors that affect myocardial remodeling and repair. At present, the intrinsic mechanisms and extrinsic signals that regulate epicardial cell fate and paracrine activity in adults remain poorly understood.

Summary

Human diseases that result in heart failure due to negative remodeling or extensive loss of viable cardiac tissue require new, effective treatments. Improved understanding of epicardial cell function(s) and epicardial-mediated secretion of growth factors, cytokines, and hormones during cardiac growth, homeostasis, and injury may lead to new ways to treat patients with myocardial infarction.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded in part by NIH/NHLBI R01 HL132264 (to J.L.S.).

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Author notes

  1. Krithika S. Rao

    Present address: Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, and Richard King Mellon Institute for Pediatric Research, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Stem Cell Core, University of Vermont, 360 South Park Drive, Ste 2, Colchester, VT, 05446, USA

    Krithika S. Rao & Jeffrey L. Spees

  2. Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of Vermont, Colchester, VT, 05446, USA

    Krithika S. Rao & Jeffrey L. Spees

Authors
  1. Krithika S. Rao
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  2. Jeffrey L. Spees
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Correspondence to Krithika S. Rao or Jeffrey L. Spees.

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Conflict of Interest

Krithika S. Rao declares no potential conflict of interest.

Jeffrey L. Spees holds patents relevant to human epicardial cells and is co-founder of Samba BioLogics, Inc.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article contains no studies with human and animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Molecular Biotechnology of Adult Stem Cells

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Rao, K.S., Spees, J.L. Harnessing Epicardial Progenitor Cells and Their Derivatives for Rescue and Repair of Cardiac Tissue After Myocardial Infarction. Curr Mol Bio Rep 3, 149–158 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40610-017-0066-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40610-017-0066-6

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