Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Heart Diseases: Current Perspective and Future Directions
- 1Division of Clinical Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Dębinki 1, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland
- 2Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Division of Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Dębinki 1, 80-211 Gdańsk, Poland
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide and continue to impose a substantial clinical burden despite major advances in pharmacological and interventional therapies. Because the adult myocardium has limited regenerative capacity, irreversible cardiomyocyte loss frequently leads to adverse remodeling and progressive heart failure (HF). Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are among the most extensively studied cell therapies for cardiac repair because of their immunomodulatory, pro-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic effects, mediated predominantly through paracrine signaling. This review summarizes the current evidence for MSC-based therapy in ischemic heart disease (IHD), coronary and microvascular disorders, myocardial infarction, HF, myocarditis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and valvular heart disease (VHD). We discuss MSC sources, preclinical and clinical evidence, manufacturing and dosing, delivery routes, biomaterial-assisted transplantation, preconditioning, genetic modification, and imaging for cell tracking and treatment monitoring. Although MSC therapy has shown a favorable safety profile and regenerative potential, clinical efficacy remains variable because of limited cell survival, poor myocardial retention, and heterogeneous treatment protocols. Further optimization of manufacturing, delivery, and patient selection, together with well-designed randomized trials, is required to establish standardized protocols and support clinical translation.
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BibTeX
@article{zajaczkowski2026mesenchymal,
title = {{Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Heart Diseases: Current Perspective and Future Directions}},
author = {Miłosz Andrzej Zajączkowski and Milena Deptuła-Knioła and Małgorzata Zawrzykraj-Motylińska and Agata Kaczyńska-Miotk and Michał Pikuła and Adam Kosiński},
journal = {Biomolecules},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/biom16101506},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/16/10/1506},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Heart Diseases: Current Perspective and Future Directions
AU - Miłosz Andrzej Zajączkowski
AU - Milena Deptuła-Knioła
AU - Małgorzata Zawrzykraj-Motylińska
AU - Agata Kaczyńska-Miotk
AU - Michał Pikuła
AU - Adam Kosiński
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Biomolecules
DO - 10.3390/biom16101506
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/16/10/1506
AB - Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide and continue to impose a substantial clinical burden despite major advances in pharmacological and interventional therapies. Because the adult myocardium has limited regenerative capacity, irreversible cardiomyocyte loss frequently leads to adverse remodeling and progressive heart failure (HF). Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are among the most extensively studied cell therapies for cardiac repair because of their immunomodulatory, pro-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic effects, mediated predominantly through paracrine signaling. This review summarizes the current evidence for MSC-based therapy in ischemic heart disease (IHD), coronary and microvascular disorders, myocardial infarction, HF, myocarditis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and valvular heart disease (VHD). We discuss MSC sources, preclinical and clinical evidence, manufacturing and dosing, delivery routes, biomaterial-assisted transplantation, preconditioning, genetic modification, and imaging for cell tracking and treatment monitoring. Although MSC therapy has shown a favorable safety profile and regenerative potential, clinical efficacy remains variable because of limited cell survival, poor myocardial retention, and heterogeneous treatment protocols. Further optimization of manufacturing, delivery, and patient selection, together with well-designed randomized trials, is required to establish standardized protocols and support clinical translation.
SN - 2218-273X
ER -