The Hypoxic Microenvironment of Stem Cells and their Progenies in the Heart

Abstract

Ischemic cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction and heart failure, is among the primary causes of death worldwide. Therapies utilizing stem cells for cardiovascular regeneration in humans represent promising strategies to treat cardiovascular disease. In the adult heart, the hypoxic microenvironment typical of pathological conditions such as heart failure and myocardial infarction triggers the transcription of a series of genes involved in the regulation of deleterious effects caused by oxygen insufficiency at the cellular, tissue, and systemic levels. During embryonic cardiovascular development, variations in oxygen content within the stem cell microenvironment play a major role in the regulation of a diverse range of cellular processes, such as glycolysis, angiogenesis, apoptosis and cell proliferation. This review will provide an overview of the roles played by the hypoxic microenvironment on stem cells and their progenies of the heart in vivo and in vitro for optimal designing of the microenvironment for regenerative studies in humans.