biostudies-literatureNg WHKementerian Sains, Teknologi dan InovasiE5519https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC6887783biostudies-literatureUnknown20(22)Cardiac c-kit cells show promise in regenerating an injured heart. While heart disease commonly affects elderly patients, it is unclear if autologous cardiac c-kit cells are functionally competent and applicable to these patients. This study characterised cardiac c-kit cells (CCs) from aged mice and studied the effects of human Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the growth kinetics and cardiac differentiation of aged CCs in vitro. CCs were isolated from 4-week- and 18-month-old C57/BL6N mice and were directly co-cultured with MSCs or separated by transwell insert. Clonogenically expanded aged CCs showed comparable telomere length to young CCs. However, these cells showed lower <i>Gata4</i>, <i>Nkx2.5</i>, and <i>Sox2</i> gene expressions, with changes of 2.4, 3767.0, International journal of molecular sciencesHuman Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Minimally Improve the Growth Kinetics and Cardiomyocyte Differentiation of Aged Murine Cardiac c-kit Cells in In Vitro without Rejuvenating Effect.PMC688778302-01-05-SF0684Ng WHYong YKLim VRamasamy RShaharuddin BNgalim SHTan JJfalseHuman Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Minimally Improve the Growth Kinetics and Cardiomyocyte Differentiation of Aged Murine Cardiac c-kit Cells in In Vitro without Rejuvenating Effect.Cardiac c-kit cells show promise in regenerating an injured heart. While heart disease commonly affects elderly patients, it is unclear if autologous cardiac c-kit cells are functionally competent and applicable to these patients. This study characterised cardiac c-kit cells (CCs) from aged mice and studied the effects of human Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the growth kinetics and cardiac differentiation of aged CCs in vitro. CCs were isolated from 4-week- and 18-month-old C57/BL6N mice and were directly co-cultured with MSCs or separated by transwell insert. Clonogenically expanded aged CCs showed comparable telomere length to young CCs. However, these cells showed lower <i>Gata4</i>, <i>Nkx2.5</i>, and <i>Sox2</i> gene expressions, with changes of 2.4, 3767.0, 2019-01-01T00:00:00Z2019 Nov2026-04-30T11:06:25.341Z2020-05-21T21:20:08ZS-EPMC68877833169867910.3390/ijms20225519