Cardiac adipose tissue: a new frontier for cardiac regeneration?

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

The human heart has limited regenerative capacity. We focused on cardiac adipose tissue as a source of progenitor cells and biological matrix material for salvaging injured myocardium. First, a population of human adult mesenchymal-like progenitors derived from cardiac adipose tissue, with inherent cardiac and endothelial cell potential, was identified and characterized. Next, a salvage strategy was tested, where a pericardial-derived, vascularized, adipose flap was used to cover oxygen-deprived myocardium in a porcine model. The fat flap reduced the myocardial scar size, in both acute and chronic infarcts. A human clinical trial to examine this novel intervention is currently underway.

Evidence level

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

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