J Physiol Volume 577, Number 2, 467-478, December 1, 2006 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.115816
Heart repair and stem cells
Linda W. van Laake1,3,
Rutger Hassink1,3,
Pieter A. Doevendans2,3 and
Christine Mummery1,2,3
1 Hubrecht Laboratory
2 Interuniversity Cardiology Institute of the Netherlands
3 The Heart Lung Center Utrecht, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Of the medical conditions currently being discussed in the context of possible treatments based on cell transplantation therapy, few have received more attention than the heart. Much focus has been on the potential application of bone marrow-derived cell preparations, which have already been introduced into double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. The consensus is that bone marrow may have therapeutic benefit but that this is not based on the ability of bone marrow cells to transdifferentiate into cardiac myocytes. Are there potential stem cell sources of cardiac myocytes that may be useful in replacing those lost or dysfunctional after myocardial infarction? Here, this question is addressed with a review of the recent literature.
(Received 22 June 2006;
accepted after revision 27 September 2006;
first published online 28 September 2006)
Corresponding author C.L. Mummery, Hubrecht Laboratory, Uppsalalaan 8, 3584 CT, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Email: christin{at}niob.knaw.nl
Copyright © 2006 The Physiological Society.