Stem Cell Therapy As A Therapeutic For Congenital Heart Disease Treatment: A Review of Animal Model Studies

Stem Cell Therapy As A Therapeutic For Congenital Heart Disease Treatment: A Review of Animal Model Studies
Saeed Farkhondeh,^1,* AmirAli Moodi Ghalibaf,² Mohammad Poorhosein,³ Fatemeh Sangani,⁴ Shaghayegh Tavokoli,⁵ Anis Ansari,⁶
1. Medical student, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
2. Medical student, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
3. Medical student, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
4. Dentistry student, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Dentistry, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
5. Dentistry student, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Dentistry, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
6. Nursing student, Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
Introduction: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defects and cause of infant death in the world. Currently, surgery is the gold standard treatment choice for CHD but The risk of postoperative ventricular dysfunction increases as children grow older and the chance of heart failure due to repeated interventions and surgeries amplifies. Stem cells(SC) are none specialized cells that can differentiate into other types of cells. Embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, adipose-derived stem cells, umbilical cord blood cells, amniotic fluid-derived stem cells are types of stem cells can use for therapeutic goals. In this study, we investigated the role of SC therapy in congenital heart disease.
Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct and Google Scholar with the keywords “stem cell” and “congenital heart disease” since 2008. Animal studies were included. Review studies were excluded.
Results: from 15 studies, 7 articles were selected according to the including and excluding criteria. The animals have been studied include, New Zealand white rabbits, Pregnant Border Leicester sheep, Adult Sprague-Dawley rats. In piglets with right ventricle and the pulmonary artery disorder, thymus-derived mesenchymal, intracoronary stem cell, perinatal stem cell-derived vascular smooth muscle cells and human embryonic stem cell–derived cardiac progenitors, in sheeps with right ventricle disorder, human cord blood stem cells, in rabbits with Hyperkinetic pulmonary arterial hypertension, endothelial progenitor cell and in rats with right ventricle disorder, Mesenchymal Stromal Cells were transplanted. According to studies, stem cells can have a therapeutic effect on congenital heart disease. There are also few side effects of this treatment.
Conclusion: , regarding the above mentioned studies, stem cell therapy in congenital heart disease is safe and has some benefits. Although this treatment method doesn't have current complications of the surgery, it is not sufficient and It should be used in combination with other therapeutic interventions. Therefore, further studies should be performed to identify complementary interventions with stem cell therapy as well as existing ambiguities.
Keywords: Animal, Congenital Heart Disease, Stem cell, Surgery