Project description:The LIM-homeodomain transcription factor ISL1 marks multipotent cardiac progenitors that give rise to cardiac muscle, endothelium, and smooth muscle cells. ISL1+ progenitors can be derived from human pluripotent stem cells, but the inability to efficiently isolate pure populations has limited their characterization. Using a genetic selection strategy, we were able to highly enrich ISL1+ cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. Comparative quantitative proteomic analysis of enriched ISL1+ cells identified ALCAM (CD166) as a surface marker that enabled the isolation of ISL1+ progenitor cells. ALCAM+/ISL1+ progenitors are multipotent and differentiate into cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells. Transplantation of ALCAM+ progenitors enhances tissue recovery, restores cardiac function and improves angiogenesis through activation of AKT-MAPK signaling in a rat model of myocardial infarction, based on cardiac MRI and histology. Our study establishes a new efficient method for scalable purification of human ISL1+ cardiac precursor cells for therapeutic applications.
Project description:Multipotent adult resident cardiac stem cells (CSCs) originally were identified by the expression of c-kit, the stem cell factor receptor. However, in the adult myocardium c-kit alone distinguish CSCs from other c-kit-expressing cardiac cells because the adult heart contains a heterogeneous mixture of c-kitpos cells, mainly composed of mast and endothelial/progenitor cells. This heterogeneity of cardiac c-kitpos cells has not been considered in recent c-kit-expressing cell fate mapping publications, which have equated the contribution of the whole heterogeneous c-kitpos population to cardiomyocyte generation in adulthood, which is minimal, to that of the CSCs, a result at odds with previous publications. To shed light on this issue, we have assessed the identity, abundancy and myogenic potential of true multipotent CSCs within the total c-kitpos cardiac cell cohort. Blood lineage-committed c-kitpos cells were removed by CD45 negative sorting to obtain a CD45negc-kitpos cell population (<10% of the total c-kitpos cells), which is enriched for cells that express c-kit at low levels and possess all properties of multipotent stem/progenitor cells in vitro. These characteristics are absent from the c-kitneg and the lineage-committed c-kitpos cardiac cells. Single Linnegc-kitpos cell-derived CSC clones, representing 1-2% of total c-kitpos cells, when instructed by TGF-b/Wnt molecules, acquire full transcriptome expression, sarcomere organization, spontaneous contraction and electrophysiological properties of differentiated cardiomyocytes. Significantly, clonogenic CSCs have a potent cardio-regenerative/repair capacity in vivo after acute myocardial infarction. CSC myogenic regenerative capacity is dependent on cardiomyocyte commitment through activation of the SMAD2 pathway. Such regeneration was not apparent when freshly-isolated total c-kitpos cardiac cells were administered. In conclusion, only a very small fraction of cardiac c-kitpos cells (~1-2%) have the characteristics of multipotent CSCs but these exhibit robust myogenic properties.
Project description:The aim of the project was to identify secreted proteins by human multipotent adipose derived stem cells differentiated into white and brown adipocytes.
Project description:Cardiac resident c-kit+ cells aroused much interest among the cardiologists at the beginning of the century. These cells are selfrenewing, clonogenic, and multipotent and possess the potential to differentiate into all cardiovascular lineages. However, one of the critical problems faced by c-kit+ cells is the poor engraftment and survival after transplantation. Therefore, researchers are focusing on developing next generation CSC products that will enhance the engraftment, survival, and regenerative capabilities of these cells. Considering this, we made a proposal that cardiac stem cells preconditioned with exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells could survive and function better in a myocardial infarction model.
Project description:The cardiac stroma contains multipotent mesenchymal progenitors. However, lineage relationships within cardiac stromal cells are poorly defined. Here, we identify heart-resident PDGFRa+ SCA-1+ cells as cardiac Fibro/Adipogenic Progenitors (cFAPs) and show that they respond to ischemic damage by generating SCA-1- fibrogenic cells. Pharmacological blockade of this differentiation step with an anti-fibrotic tyrosine kinase inhibitor decreases post-myocardial infarction (MI) remodeling and leads to improvement in heart function.