The Paracrine Effect: Pivotal Mechanism in Cell-Based Cardiac Repair

摘要

Cardiac cell therapy has emerged as a controversial yet promising therapeutic strategy. Both experimental data and clinical applications in this field have shown modest but tangible benefits on cardiac structure and function and underscore that transplanted stem–progenitor cells can attenuate the postinfarct microenvironment. The paracrine factors secreted by these cells represent a pivotal mechanism underlying the benefits of cell-mediated cardiac repair. This article reviews key studies behind the paracrine effect related to the cardiac reparative effects of cardiac cell therapy.