Adipose derived stem cells : new kids on the block

Abstract

Heart failure is a major health problem and myocardial infarction (MI) is, at the present time, the main cause. Cell therapy hold great promise for use in tissue regeneration and is increasingly used in an effort to improve outcomes in cardiac disease. Recently it has been shown that adipose tissue, in addition to committed adipogenic, endothelial progenitor cells and pluripotent vascular progenitor cells, contains also multipotent cell types (adipose derived stem cells, ADSCs) that, in cell culture conditions, have extensive proliferative capacity and are able to differentiate into several lineages, mesenchymal or not. ADSCs, similarly to MSCs, express the CD105, STRO1, CD166, CD117,CD90, CD54, CD44 and CD29 sur- face markers. Moreover, ADSCs are also capable of secreting a large number of growth factors, including vascular endothelial growth Factor, Granulocyte/Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor, Stromal Derived Factor-1alpha and Hepatocyte Growing Factor. Adipose tissue can be harvested in large amounts with minimal morbidity and, owing to the large concentra- tion of stem cells contained in a typical harvest, therapeutic doses of ADSCs can easily be isolated in as little as an hour after liposuction, obviating the need for culture. Several studies conducted in porcine AMI mod- els have shown a significant LV functional improvement, with no report of any potentially fatal arrhythmias. The APOLLO trial, a prospective, double blind, randomised, placebo controlled, sequential dose-escalation study conducted at the Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC, will be the ‘First-in-Man’ study that will explore the safety and feasibility of ADSC transplantation in patients with acute MI. - B26 - EuroIntervention Supplement