PubReading [238] - Heart regeneration using pluripotent stem cells - S. Kadota, Y. Tanaka, Y. Shiba

<p><strong>Pluripotent stem cells</strong> (PSCs), which include embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (ESCs and iPSCs, respectively), have great potential in <strong>regenerative medicine</strong> for heart diseases due to their virtually unlimited cardiogenic capacity. Many preclinical studies have described the functional benefits after transplantation of PSC-derived <strong>cardiomyocytes</strong> (PSC-CMs). However, transient ventricular arrhythmias were detected after injection into non-human primates and swine ischemic hearts; as engrafted PSC-CMs form an electrical coupling between host and graft, the immature characteristics of <strong>PSC-CM</strong>s may serve as an ectopic pacemaker. We are entering a critical time in the development of novel therapies using PSC- CMs, with the recent first clinical trial using human iPSC-CMs (hiPSC-CMs) being launched in Japan. In this review, we summarize the updated knowledge, perspectives, and limitations of PSC-CMs for<strong> heart regeneration</strong>.</p><p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjcc.2020.03.013"><em>https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjcc.2020.03.013</em></a><em> - 2020</em></p>