This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Anversa, P. Articles by Leri, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Anversa, P. Articles by Leri, A. Related Collections Angiogenesis Cerebrovascular disease/stroke Transplantation

(Circulation Research. 2003;92:579.)
© 2003 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorials

Primitive Cells and Tissue Regeneration

Piero Anversa, Jan Kajstura, Bernardo Nadal-Ginard, Annarosa Leri

From the Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY.

Correspondence to Piero Anversa, MD, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595. E-mail piero_anversa@nymc.edu

Key Words: stem cell plasticity • transdifferentiation • growth factors • brain • heart

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

In the last few years, several experimental studies have used stem cells of different sources to reconstitute damaged tissues.¹ The brain and the heart have been the most investigated organs because of the long-standing view of the lack of regenerating potential of neurons and myocytes.^2,3 Bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) have been reported capable of transdifferentiating in various cell lineages distinct from the site of origin⁴ and, because of this property, they may constitute a new form of cellular therapy. Neuronal and myocardial growth mediated by bone marrow cells (BMCs) has been demonstrated, but these results have been challenged^5,6 and the issue of BMSC transdifferentiation has become highly controversial. Heated debates at scientific meetings, letters in high-profile journals, and reports with contradicting observations have raised questions on the plasticity of BMSCs.^5–7 If negative results would be more cautiously interpreted instead of being blown out of context, it is likely that the actual role that adult stem cells play in the repair of tissues and organs would be better understood and appreciated. This is particularly relevant when negative data are dropped as "valid" statements from the podium and are quoted before they undergo peer review and publication.⁶

A good example of the opposite approach is found in the study of Chen and colleagues⁸ in this issue of Circulation Research. The authors have utilized, among other sophisticated techniques, confocal microscopy to identify and characterize an important new function of human pluripotent adult mesenchymal BMSCs. In this report, an unequivocal demonstration was . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				K. G Aghila Rani, K. Jayakumar, G. Srinivas, R. R Nair, and C. C Kartha Isolation of ckit-Positive Cardiosphere-Forming Cells from Human Atrial Biopsy Asian Cardiovasc Thorac Ann, February 1, 2008; 16(1): 50 - 56. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Leri, J. Kajstura, and P. Anversa Cardiac Stem Cells and Mechanisms of Myocardial Regeneration Physiol Rev, October 1, 2005; 85(4): 1373 - 1416. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Chimenti, J. Kajstura, D. Torella, K. Urbanek, H. Heleniak, C. Colussi, F. Di Meglio, B. Nadal-Ginard, A. Frustaci, A. Leri, et al. Senescence and Death of Primitive Cells and Myocytes Lead to Premature Cardiac Aging and Heart Failure Circ. Res., October 3, 2003; 93(7): 604 - 613. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]