Transplanted microvessels improve pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte engraftment and cardiac function after infarction in rats.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• 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)

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) offer an unprecedented opportunity to remuscularize infarcted human hearts. However, studies have shown that most hiPSC-CMs do not survive after transplantation into the ischemic myocardial environment, limiting their regenerative potential and clinical application. We established a method to improve hiPSC-CM survival by cotransplanting ready-made microvessels obtained from adipose tissue. Ready-made microvessels promoted a sixfold increase in hiPSC-CM survival and superior functional recovery when compared to hiPSC-CMs transplanted alone or cotransplanted with a suspension of dissociated endothelial cells in infarcted rat hearts. Microvessels showed unprecedented persistence and integration at both early (~80%, week 1) and late (~60%, week 4) time points, resulting in increased vessel density and graft perfusion, and improved hiPSC-CM maturation. These findings provide an approach to cell-based therapies for myocardial infarction, whereby incorporation of ready-made microvessels can improve functional outcomes in cell replacement therapies.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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