Karch SB, Fineschi V, Francia P, Scopetti M, Padovano M, Manetti F, Santurro A, Frati P, Volpe M. Role of induced pluripotent stem cells in diagnostic cardiology. World J Stem Cells 2021; 13(5): 331-341 [PMID: 34136069 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i5.331]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Vittorio Fineschi, MD, PhD, Director, Full Professor, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, Rome 00185, Italy. vittorio.fineschi@uniroma1.it
Research Domain of This Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Article-Type of This Article
Opinion Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Stem Cells. May 26, 2021; 13(5): 331-341 Published online May 26, 2021. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v13.i5.331
Role of induced pluripotent stem cells in diagnostic cardiology
Steven B Karch, Vittorio Fineschi, Pietro Francia, Matteo Scopetti, Martina Padovano, Federico Manetti, Alessandro Santurro, Paola Frati, Massimo Volpe
Steven B Karch, School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89102, United States
Vittorio Fineschi, Matteo Scopetti, Martina Padovano, Federico Manetti, Alessandro Santurro, Paola Frati, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
Pietro Francia, Massimo Volpe, Division of Cardiology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, St. Andrea Hospital, Via di Grottarossa, 1035, 00189 Rome, Italy
Federico Manetti, Paola Frati, Department SAIMLAL, Sapienza University of Roma, Rome 00185, Italy
Massimo Volpe, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00197, Italy
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to this paper with conception and design of the study, literature review and analysis, drafting, critical revision, and approval of the final version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest. This study received no external funding.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Vittorio Fineschi, MD, PhD, Director, Full Professor, Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, Rome 00185, Italy. vittorio.fineschi@uniroma1.it
Received: February 12, 2021 Peer-review started: February 12, 2021 First decision: March 17, 2021 Revised: March 27, 2021 Accepted: April 14, 2021 Article in press: April 14, 2021 Published online: May 26, 2021 Processing time: 102 Days and 20.6 Hours
Abstract
Ethical concerns about stem cell-based research have delayed important advances in many areas of medicine, including cardiology. The introduction of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has supplanted the need to use human stem cells for most purposes, thus eliminating all ethical controversies. Since then, many new avenues have been opened in cardiology research, not only in approaches to tissue replacement but also in the design and testing of antiarrhythmic drugs. This methodology has advanced to the point where induced human cardiomyocyte cell lines can now also be obtained from commercial sources or tissue banks. Initial studies with readily available iPSCs have generally confirmed that their behavioral characteristics accurately predict the behavior of beating cardiomyocytes in vivo. As a result, iPSCs can provide new ways to study arrhythmias and heart disease in general, accelerating the development of new, more effective antiarrhythmic drugs, clinical diagnoses, and personalized medical care. The focus on producing cardiomyocytes that can be used to replace damaged heart tissue has somewhat diverted interest in a host of other applications. This manuscript is intended to provide non-specialists with a brief introduction and overview of the research carried out in the field of heart rhythm disorders.
Core Tip: The introduction of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has supplanted the need for human stem cells, thus eliminating most ethical controversies. This methodology has advanced to the point where induced human cardiomyocyte cell lines can also be obtained from commercial sources or tissue banks. iPSCs can predict the behavior of cardiomyocytes in vivo, so that new ways are paved in cardiology research to study arrhythmias and heart disease in general, accelerating the development of new, more effective antiarrhythmic drugs, clinical diagnoses, and personalized medical care.
