Modulation and Imaging of Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy

• Applicant: Dr. Bruno C. Huber
• Subject Area: Cardiology, Angiology
• Term: from 2010 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 175301438

Coronary artery disease is a progressive disease with high morbidity and mortality rates in the Western world. Following myocardial infarction (MI), the limited ability of the surviving cardiac cells to proliferate thereafter renders the damaged heart susceptible to unfavourable remodeling processes and morbid sequelae such as heart failure. In recent years, a number of studies have confirmed the presence of resident “progenitor cells” in the myocardium These cells can be isolated and expanded ex vivo, and can also differentiate into cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells under the appropriate culturing conditions. Although several studies have demonstrated significant improvements in cardiac function after Cardiac Stem Cell (CSC) injections, a majority of the cells fail to engraft chronically, which can potentially lessen their long-term therapeutic impact. Acute donor cell death is initiated by three principal pathways: ischemia, anoikisis, and inflammation. Therefore, the aim of the project is to isolate mouse CSCs from L2G85 transgenic mice and use molecular imaging as “high throughput in vivo screening” of pro-survival agents capable of blunting these pathological processes.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: USA
• Host: Professor Joseph Wu, Ph.D.