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Updated: May 2, 2026

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Interaction between myofibroblasts and stem cells in the fibrotic heart: balancing between deterioration and

Arti A Ramkisoensing1, Antoine A F de Vries, Douwe E Atsma

  • 1Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Heart Center Leiden, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2300 RC, the Netherlands.

Cardiovascular Research
|March 1, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Understanding the communication between cardiac myofibroblasts and stem cells is crucial for developing effective heart repair therapies. This review highlights knowledge gaps in modulating cardiac fibrosis for better stem cell treatment outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Regenerative Medicine
  • Cellular Interactions

Background:

  • Cardiac fibroblasts and myofibroblasts maintain heart structure and function.
  • Resident and extracardiac stem cells are vital for tissue homeostasis and repair.
  • Interactions between these cell types are not fully understood, especially in fibrotic hearts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the interplay between cardiac myofibroblasts and stem cells in the context of cardiac fibrosis.
  • To identify knowledge gaps regarding stem cell therapy's impact on fibrosis and vice versa.
  • To guide future research for optimizing cardiac cell therapy in fibrotic hearts.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on experimental animal models of myocardial infarction and stem cell transplantation.
  • Analysis of existing data on cell-cell signaling in the fibrotic myocardium.
  • Identification of areas requiring further investigation with dedicated models and tools.

Main Results:

  • Current understanding of myofibroblast-stem cell interactions in fibrotic hearts is limited.
  • The reciprocal influence of stem cell therapy on cardiac fibrosis and fibrosis on stem cell efficacy remains incompletely elucidated.
  • Specific mechanistic insights are lacking for therapeutic optimization.

Conclusions:

  • Further investigation into myofibroblast-stem cell interactions is essential for advancing cardiac cell therapy.
  • Targeting these interactions could lead to novel biological therapies for reversing cardiac fibrosis.
  • Dedicated research models are needed to bridge current knowledge gaps.

Keywords:
Cardiac fibrosisCell therapyHeterocellular communicationMyofibroblastsStem cells

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