Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
A Hypoxia-Reoxygenation Injury Model in Self-Assembling Human Cardioids
Published on: March 17, 2026
Regenerative potential of muse cells in ROS-mediated cardiac injury: An in vitro oxygen-glucose
Abeer Sallam1, Hala Salah Ibrahim Aly2, Nihal Mohamed El-Habachi3
1Medical Physiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21500, Egypt; Center of Excellence for Research in Regenerative Medicine and Applications (CERRMA), Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21500, Egypt.
Aims:
Myocardial Ischemia-reperfusion injury produces excessive reactive oxygen species, leading to myocardial cell death and debilitated cardiac function. The regenerative properties of cardiac stem/progenitor cells, particularly the Sca-1+ population, remain narrow under ischemia-reperfusion injury conditions. Multilineage stress-enduring cells known as Muse cells, a distinguished subpopulation of SSEA-3+ mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), have shown promise in tissue repair due to their stress-enduring, non-tumorigenic, and pluripotent-like properties. This study questioned the regenerative potential of Muse cells in rescuing Sca-1+ cardiac stem cells exposed in vitro to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injury.
Materials And Methods:
Muse cells were first isolated from human adipose mesenchymal stromal cells using Magnetic-activated cell sorting for SSEA-3+ cells. Co-culture experiments were conducted to assess the impacts of Muse cells on Sca-1+ cardiac stem cells proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress. Spontaneous Cardiac differentiation of Muse cells was assessed using expression of cardiac markers (GATA-4, Myosin light chain 2, Connexin-43, Troponin C1, and Myosin heavy chain 6.
Key Findings:
Muse cell co-culture with cells exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injury significantly improved the survival and proliferation of Sca-1+ cardiac stem cells, while reducing apoptosis and oxidative stress compared to untreated cells. Additionally, Muse cells enhanced spontaneous cardiac differentiation, as indicated by the upregulation of assessed cardiac markers.
Significance:
Muse cells exert protective and supportive effects on cardiac stem cells under ischemic-like conditions and may represent a promising adjunct therapy to enhance endogenous cardiac repair. However, further studies are required to confirm functional cardiomyocyte differentiation and clinical applicability.
Clinical Trials:
Not available.
