Design-Driven Translational Tools to Manage Cardiac Regeneration as Applicable to Clinical Practice

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, with 80% of cases occurring in developing countries. Innovative therapies are required to reduce mortality and limit or abolish the necessity for cardiac transplantation. Over the last decade, stem cells have been a promise for the cure of several diseases not only due to their plasticity but also to their capacity to act in a paracrine manner and influence the affected tissue. Human SC-based therapy derivatives are extremely attractive for therapeutic development because they have direct pharmacologic utility in clinical applications, unlike any other adult cells. Moreover, stem cell-derived paracrine factors have been shown to suppress inflammation and apoptosis, stimulate angiogenesis, and amplify the proliferation and differentiation of resident cardiac stem cells (CSCs). And SC therapies are thus viable alternatives to conventional treatments with substantial therapeutic potential; market opportunities are huge, as multiple product candidates are expected to be approved over the coming decade.