The role of major immune cells in myocardial infarction

Abstract

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a cardiovascular disease (CVD) with high morbidity and mortality worldwide, often leading to adverse cardiac remodeling and heart failure, which is a serious threat to human life and health. The immune system makes an important contribution to the maintenance of normal cardiac function. In the disease process of MI, necrotic cardiomyocytes release signals that activate nonspecific immunity and trigger the action of specific immunity. Complex immune cells play an important role in all stages of MI progression by removing necrotic cardiomyocytes and tissue and promoting the healing of damaged tissue cells. With the development of biomaterials, cardiac patches have become an emerging method of repairing MI, and the development of engineered cardiac patches through the construction of multiple animal models of MI can help treat MI. This review introduces immune cells involved in the development of MI, summarizes the commonly used animal models of MI and the newly developed cardiac patch, so as to provide scientific reference for the accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of MI.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Increases the Severity of Myocardial Infarction after Acute Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury in Mice

“…Infiltration of the ischemic site by immune cells can both promote cardiomyocyte death, inflammation, and subsequent post-MI remodeling and heart failure, as well as facilitate regeneration of damaged heart muscle at a later stage [90][91][92][93]. At the onset of MI, necrotic myocytes release damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and cytokines that activate the recruitment of non-specific immune cells such as monocytes, neutrophils, and dendritic cells from the peripheral vasculature into the infarcted area [94]. After the inflammatory phase, a specific immune response involving T and B lymphocyte infiltration initiates the repair of MI, in particular via the production of cytokines by regulatory T cells to promote macrophage polarization and myocardial healing [94].…”

“…At the onset of MI, necrotic myocytes release damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and cytokines that activate the recruitment of non-specific immune cells such as monocytes, neutrophils, and dendritic cells from the peripheral vasculature into the infarcted area [94]. After the inflammatory phase, a specific immune response involving T and B lymphocyte infiltration initiates the repair of MI, in particular via the production of cytokines by regulatory T cells to promote macrophage polarization and myocardial healing [94]. Resolution of inflammation is achieved by macrophage recruitment in the injured site to polarize into anti-inflammatory macrophages that activate MI repair by secreting anti-inflammatory cytokines and eliminating necrotic cells [95].…”

The Role of Stem Cells in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases

“…CVDs are a group of diseases in which inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis. Specifically, atherosclerosis and MI are associated with immune cell responses, including that of T cells [209,210]. Modulation of T cell activity occurs through the programmed death cell 1 pathway (PD-1/PD-L1), which is used in immunotherapy for the treatment of malignancies.…”

Sex Differences in Therapies against Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: From Basic Science to Clinical Perspectives

“…In addition to the innate immune system, the adaptive immune system also plays a role in the immune response after an MI [ 168 ]. Experimental studies showed that B cells are instrumental in orchestrating the inflammatory response after myocardial IRI, partially via mobilizing inflammatory monocytes to the infarct site [ 169 ].…”