Therapeutic potential of CD73⁺ mesenchymal stem cells for myocardial infarction and beyond

Extracellular adenine nucleotides serve as crucial signaling molecules and influence a broad spectrum of physiological and pathological processes. CD73, the rate-limiting enzyme in the metabolism of extracellular adenine nucleotides, is ubiquitously expressed on various cell types, particularly stem cells. CD73⁺ mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as promising candidates for therapeutic applications due to their immunomodulatory and pro-regenerative properties. Numerous studies have highlighted the crucial role of CD73 in mediating tissue protection in myocardial infarction (MI). In this review, a brief overview of the cell type-specific expression, regulatory effects of CD73 on MSCs, and proangiogenic and immunomodulatory mechanisms is provided, with a focus on current findings concerning the protective functions of CD73 in the context of MI within the framework of stem cell therapy.