Realizing the cardiac stem cell promise: a case for trophism

Recent advances in stem cell biology have given rise the new field of cardiac regenerative medicine. Specifically, the development of cardiac stem cell science now offers the promise of novel cardiovascular therapies based on a dynamic body of basic and translational research. Importantly, the potential wide-spread clinical application of this technology will require that therapies be optimized for individuals with potential impairments in cardiac stem cell function. To this end, the previous experience of hematopoietic stem cell therapies can provide important guidance in the development and maturation of the young cardiac stem cell field. Parallel to the impact that exogenous growth factors have made in the field of hematopoietic therapies, the discovery and potential application of the factor(s) that govern cardiac regeneration may speed the progression of cardiac stem cell technology into an assessable and potent clinical therapy.