scholarly journals Human Neonatal Thymus Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Neovascularization and Cardiac Regeneration

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuyun Wang ◽  
Shan Huang ◽  
Lianghui Gong ◽  
Zhize Yuan ◽  
Joshua Wong ◽  
...  

Newborns with critical congenital heart disease are at significant risk of developing heart failure later in life. Because treatment options for end-stage heart disease in children are limited, regenerative therapies for these patients would be of significant benefit. During neonatal cardiac surgery, a portion of the thymus is removed and discarded. This discarded thymus tissue is a good source of MSCs that we have previously shown to be proangiogenic and to promote cardiac function in an in vitro model of heart tissue. The purpose of this study was to further evaluate the cardiac regenerative and protective properties of neonatal thymus (nt) MSCs. We found that ntMSCs expressed and secreted the proangiogenic and cardiac regenerative morphogen sonic hedgehog (Shh) in vitro more than patient-matched bone-derived MSCs. We also found that organoid culture of ntMSCs stimulated Shh expression. We then determined that ntMSCs were cytoprotective of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes exposed to H2O2. Finally, in a rat left coronary ligation model, we found that scaffoldless cell sheet made of ntMSCs applied to the LV epicardium immediately after left coronary ligation improved LV function, increased vascular density, decreased scar size, and decreased cardiomyocyte death four weeks after infarction. We conclude that ntMSCs have cardiac regenerative properties and warrant further consideration as a cell therapy for congenital heart disease patients with heart failure.

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1954 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-121
Author(s):  
ROBERT W. WINTERS ◽  
SAUL J. ROBINSON ◽  
GEORGE BATES

A case of multiple hemangiomata of the liver is reported in an infant who presented signs and symptoms strongly suggesting congenital heart disease. The post mortem examination revealed no gross anomalies of the heart or great vessels, but did show a heart with cardiac hypertrophy. A mechanism to explain the cardiac failure in this case is discussed.


Author(s):  
Lisa Brandon ◽  
◽  
Brian Kerr ◽  
Ken McDonald ◽  
◽  
...  

LVNC is a relatively new clinical entity, with a significant increase in awareness and diagnosis in recent years. Currently the aetiology and pathogenesis of LVNC remains uncertain, alongside prevalence, however the diagnosis of LVNC appears to be increasing with improving imaging techniques. For educational purposes involving a rare clinical condition, we present the case of a 52 year old gentleman who was diagnosed with LV non compaction via ECHO and CMR. Interestingly it was noted two of his children had congenital heart disease, one daughter had Tetralogy of Fallot, and a second daughter had both an ASD and VSD. Challenges facing LVNC involve difficulty of diagnosis with no gold standard yet available, uncertainty of benefit with standard disease modifying therapies for HF-REF, and apparent increased risk of arrhythmias suggesting early ICD placement may be warranted for patients. Keywords: Hr-Ref; heart failure; lv non compaction; arrhythmias; lcd Risk.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. dmm047522
Author(s):  
Abdul Jalil Rufaihah ◽  
Ching Kit Chen ◽  
Choon Hwai Yap ◽  
Citra N. Z. Mattar

ABSTRACTBirth defects contribute to ∼0.3% of global infant mortality in the first month of life, and congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect among newborns worldwide. Despite the significant impact on human health, most treatments available for this heterogenous group of disorders are palliative at best. For this reason, the complex process of cardiogenesis, governed by multiple interlinked and dose-dependent pathways, is well investigated. Tissue, animal and, more recently, computerized models of the developing heart have facilitated important discoveries that are helping us to understand the genetic, epigenetic and mechanobiological contributors to CHD aetiology. In this Review, we discuss the strengths and limitations of different models of normal and abnormal cardiogenesis, ranging from single-cell systems and 3D cardiac organoids, to small and large animals and organ-level computational models. These investigative tools have revealed a diversity of pathogenic mechanisms that contribute to CHD, including genetic pathways, epigenetic regulators and shear wall stresses, paving the way for new strategies for screening and non-surgical treatment of CHD. As we discuss in this Review, one of the most-valuable advances in recent years has been the creation of highly personalized platforms with which to study individual diseases in clinically relevant settings.


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