Tampa, Fla. (Sep. 3rd, 2008) Two studies published in the current issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION (17:6) examine the efficacy of transplanting bone marrow cells (BMCs) for the repair of heart tissue.
The first study found that implanting adult cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) in combination with BMCs has two advantages over transplanting cardiomyocytes alone. First, while cardiac function was preserved by implanting cardiomyocytes alone, the therapeutic effects of transplanting them along with bone marrow cells was enhanced. Second, programmed cell death (apoptosis) of the host cardiomyocytes was reduced significantly after the implantation of BMCs alone or in combination with cardiomyocytes when compared with results after the implanting of cardiomyocytes alone.
"Our findings indicate that cardiomyocytes and bone marrow cells can assist and compliment each other," said the study's lead author Tao-sheng Li, MD, PhD of the Department of Surgery and Clinical Science at the Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine. "This technique shows promise as a feasible new strategy for myocardial repair."
Cardiomyocyte survival was counted at one, three and seven days after culture to see if protection against apoptosis was successful.
Cardiac function was measured before and 28 days after treatment. Results showed that cardiomyocyte survival increased significantly in the co-cultured group. Although cardiomyocytes shrank as the post-culture time was extended, morphological change was milder in the co-cultured group.
The second study, carried out at the University of Padua, compared transplantation of two sources of mensenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) and from fetal amniotic fluid (AF-MSCs) to discover which type of cell was most effective in replenishing damaged rat heart tissues.
"The choice of stem cell type to be used in therapeutic cardiovascular regeneration of acute or chronic myocardial isch
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| Contact: Tao-Sheng Li, MD, PhD litaoshe@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp 81-836-222-260 Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair Source:Eurekalert |