Heart Cells with Regenerative Potential from Pediatric Patients with End Stage Heart Failure: A Translatable Method to Enrich and Propagate

Abstract EN

Background.

Human cardiac-derived progenitor cells (hCPCs) have shown promise in treating heart failure (HF) in adults.

The purpose of this study was to describe derivation of hCPCs from pediatric patients with end-stage HF.

Methods.

At surgery, discarded right atrial tissues (hAA) were obtained from HF patients (n=25; hAA-CHF).

Minced tissues were suspended in complete (serum-containing) DMEM.

Cells were selected for their tissue migration and expression of stem cell factor receptor (hc-kit).

Characterization of hc-kitpositive cells included immunohistochemical screening with a panel of monoclonal antibodies.

Results.

Cells, including phase-bright cells identified as hc-kitpositive, spontaneously emigrated from hAA-CHF in suspended explant cultures (SEC) after Day 7.

When cocultured with tissue, emigrated hc-kitpositive cells proliferated, first as loosely attached clones and later as multicellular clusters.

At Day 21~5% of cells were hc-kitpositive.

Between Days 14 and 28 hc-kitpositive cells exhibited mesodermal commitment (GATA-4positive and NKX2.5positive); then after Day 28 cardiac lineages (flk-1positive, smooth muscle actinpositive, troponin-Ipositive, and myosin light chainpositive).

Conclusions.

C-kitpositive hCPCs can be derived from atrial tissue of pediatric patients with end-stage HF.

SEC is a novel culture method for derivation of migratory hc-kitpositive cells that favors clinical translation by reducing the need for exogenously added factors to expand hCPCs in vitro.