Human iPS cell-derived cardiac tissue sheets for functional restoration of infarcted porcine hearts

PLoS One. 2018 Aug 2;13(8):e0201650. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201650. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

To realize human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based cardiac regenerative therapy, evidence of therapeutic advantages in human-sized diseased hearts are indispensable. In combination with an efficient and simultaneous differentiation of various cardiac lineages from hiPSCs and cell sheet technology, we aimed to generate clinical-sized large cardiac tissue sheets (L-CTSs) and to evaluate the therapeutic potential in porcine infarct heart. We simultaneously induced cardiomyocytes (CMs) and vascular cells [vascular endothelial cells (ECs) and vascular mural cells (MCs)] from hiPSCs. We generated L-CTSs using 10cm-sized temperature-responsive culture dishes. We induced myocardial infarction (MI) in micromini-pigs (15-25 kg) and transplanted the L-CTSs (Tx) 2 weeks after MI induction (4 sheets/recipient) under immunosuppression (Tx: n = 5, Sham: n = 5). Self-pulsating L-CTSs were approximately 3.5cm in diameter with 6.8×106±0.8 of cells containing cTnT+-CMs (45.6±13.2%), VE-cadherin+-ECs (5.3±4.4%) and PDGFRβ+-MCs (14.4±20.7%), respectively (n = 5). In Tx group, echocardiogram indicated a significantly higher systolic function of the left ventricle (LV) compared to that in sham control (Sham vs Tx: fractional shortening: 24.2±8.6 vs 40.5±9.7%; p<0.05). Ejection fraction evaluated by left ventriculogram was significantly higher in Tx group (25.3±6.2% vs 39.8±4.2%; p<0.01). Speckle tracking echocardiogram showed a significant increase of circumference strain in infarct and border regions after transplantation. Fibrotic area was significantly lower in Tx group (23.8±4.5 vs 15.9±3.8%; P<0.001). Capillary density in the border region was significantly higher in Tx group (75.9±42.6/mm2 vs 137.4±44.8/mm2, p<0.001). These data indicate that the L-CTS transplantation attenuated LV remodeling. L-CTSs potentially restore cardiac dysfunction of human-sized infarct heart.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cadherins / metabolism
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Echocardiography
  • Heart / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Myocardial Infarction / pathology
  • Myocardial Infarction / therapy*
  • Myocardium / metabolism
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / transplantation*
  • Regeneration
  • Swine
  • Tissue Engineering
  • Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry*
  • Troponin T / metabolism
  • Ventricular Function
  • Ventricular Remodeling

Substances

  • Cadherins
  • Troponin T
  • Calcium

Grants and funding

This work was supported by research grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan (to H.M. and R.S.) (25462137, 24390327), the Project for Realization of Regenerative Medicine (to J.K.Y.) and Invited Research Project of Translational Research Center, Kyoto University Hospital (to R.S.).