Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) have emerged as potential therapy to improve cardiac repair and prevent damage in cardiac diseases. CPCs are a promising cell source for cardiac therapy as they can generate all cardiovascular lineages in vitro and in vivo. Originating from the heart itself, CPCs may be destined to activate endogenous repair mechanisms. These CPCs release paracrine molecules that are able to stimulate cardiac repair mechanisms, including stimulation of vessel formation and inhibition of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. In addition to proteins and growth factors, CPCs release extracellular membrane vesicles, such as exosomes, which have gained increasing interest in recent years. Exosomal-derived miRNAs have been indicated to play an important role in these processes. Hereby, CPC exosomes can be considered as potential off-the-shelf therapeutics, as they are able to stimulate the regenerative capacity of the heart by increasing vessel density and lowering apoptosis of cardiomyocytes.
Keywords: CPC; Cardiac repair; Exosomes; Extracellular vesicles.