New study: Specific placental stem cells can repair damaged hearts

, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A new U.S. study has found that a placental stem cell can repair damaged hearts after a heart attack in experimental mice and avoid the exclusive response of the host immune system. The findings are published in a new issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Previous studies have found that placental stem cells in mice can help pregnant mothers repair heart damage, and their new study confirms that it is a placental stem cell called Cdx2 that allows heart cells to regenerate, according to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai, USA.
In animal experiments, the researchers first induced three groups of male mice to have a heart attack, then had the first group treated with Cdx2 stem cells, the second group received placental stem cells that did not express Cdx2, and the third group received physiological saline therapy for control.
found significant improvement and regeneration of cardiac tissue in mice treated with Cdx2 stem cells. After 3 months, the stem cells migrate directly to the heart damage, forming new blood vessels and myocardial cells. The last two groups of mice showed heart failure and no signs of heart regeneration.
also found that Cdx2 cells have all the proteins of embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are highly undifferentiated cells that can develop into a variety of tissues and organs."We've been able to isolate Cdx2 cells from the human placenta for full moons, so it's expected to design a better human heart stem cell therapy than in the past," said lead researcher Sheena Chowdhury, director of cardiovascular regenerative medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine in Mount Sinai,
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