Human Cardiac Stromal Cells

Human Cardiac Stromal Cells (HCSCs) are a population of primary mesenchymal-like stromal cells isolated from the interstitial compartments of human heart, including the myocardium, atrial or ventricular regions, epicardial layer or surgical cardiac samples. HCSCs are heterogeneous but functionally orchestrated groups of cells comprising cardiac fibroblasts, MSC-like stromal cells, progenitor-like subsets and epicardial-derived cells that contribute to cardiac structural integrity, extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis and tissue repair.

In vitro, HCSCs exhibit adherent growth with spindle-shaped, fibroblast-like morphology and express classical mesenchymal markers such as vimentin, CD44, CD90, and CD105, with variable α-SMA expression under activation. HCSCs maintain broad functional capabilities which include, but are not limited to, ECM synthesis, matrix-remodeling enzymes and paracrine factors which play roles in angiogenesis, inflammation, and cardiomyocyte protection. These play central roles in post-injury processes such as wound healing and fibrosis and play a role in pathological cardiac remodeling.

The important roles that HCSCs play in mediating the cardiac microenvironment make them a key model system for the study of myocardial infarction, fibrotic progression and maturation, mechanisms of chronic heart failure, and immune modulation in cardiac disease. Their responsiveness to cytokines and mechanical stimuli also makes them valuable for drug screening, anti-fibrotic therapeutic evaluation, and cardiotoxicity testing. HCSCs are also being used more and more in cutting-edge tissue-engineering platforms, including 3D cardiac constructs, engineered heart tissues and organ-on-chip devices.