ENGINEERING CARDIAC TISSUE USING STEM CELL THERAPY TO MEND THE BROKEN HEART

摘要

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the most severe forms of coronary artery disease and is the leading cause of death in the United States [1]. Current treatments for an MI are either highly invasive, such as coronary artery bypass grafting and stent angioplasty, or might have undesirable long-term effects as is the case with pharmacological interventions. However, newly emerging methodologies, such as a less invasive stem cell therapy, aim to cure the disease rather than just alleviate its symptoms. This new tissue engineering technology has shown promise in restoring the homeostasis of the heart muscle after MI in preclinical and clinical studies [2]. However, controversies regarding inconsistent methodologies and a lack of mechanistic understanding of its actions have hampered progress in this field [3].In this project, we attempt to elucidate the intricacies of stem cell therapy. Our goal is to develop a series of methodologies to better explore the effects of marrow stromal stem cell (rMSC) therapy on regeneration of the heart muscle after the onset of the myocardial infarction. To accomplish this, we will study the changes in the cardiac function using echocardiography and correlate them with improvements in microvascular structure and function using immunohistochemical analysis.