Open AccessBone marrow‐derived cells can acquire cardiac stem cells properties in damaged heart
Author(s) -
Barile Lucio,
Cerisoli Francesco,
Frati Giacomo,
Gaetani Roberto,
Chimenti Isotta,
Forte Elvira,
Cassinelli Letizia,
Spinardi Laura,
Altomare Claudia,
Kizana Eddy,
Giacomello Alessandro,
Messina Elisa,
Ottolenghi Sergio,
Magli Maria Cristina
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of cellular and molecular medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.44
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1582-4934
pISSN - 1582-1838
DOI - 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2009.00968.x
Subject(s) - stem cell , bone marrow , microbiology and biotechnology , in vitro , biology , green fluorescent protein , bone marrow stem cell , cell type , cell , immunology , pathology , medicine , gene , genetics
Experimental data suggest that cell‐based therapies may be useful for cardiac regeneration following ischaemic heart disease. Bone marrow (BM) cells have been reported to contribute to tissue repair after myocardial infarction (MI) by a variety of humoural and cellular mechanisms. However, there is no direct evidence, so far, that BM cells can generate cardiac stem cells (CSCs). To investigate whether BM cells contribute to repopulate the Kit + CSCs pool, we transplanted BM cells from transgenic mice, expressing green fluorescent protein under the control of Kit regulatory elements, into wild‐type irradiated recipients. Following haematological reconstitution and MI, CSCs were cultured from cardiac explants to generate ‘cardiospheres’, a microtissue normally originating in vitro from CSCs. These were all green fluorescent (i.e. BM derived) and contained cells capable of initiating differentiation into cells expressing the cardiac marker Nkx2.5. These findings indicate that, at least in conditions of local acute cardiac damage, BM cells can home into the heart and give rise to cells that share properties of resident Kit + CSCs.