ShamsEldeen AM, Hosny SA, Maghib K, Ashour H. Current perspectives on regenerative potential of mesenchymal stem cells in alleviating cardiac injuries: Molecular pathways and therapeutic enhancement. World J Stem Cells 2025; 17(8): 107480 [DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i8.107480]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Asmaa M ShamsEldeen, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Cairo University, Al-Saray Street, Cairo 11956, Egypt. asmaa82shamseldeen@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Article-Type of This Article
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. Aug 26, 2025; 17(8): 107480 Published online Aug 26, 2025. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v17.i8.107480
Current perspectives on regenerative potential of mesenchymal stem cells in alleviating cardiac injuries: Molecular pathways and therapeutic enhancement
Asmaa M ShamsEldeen, Sara A Hosny, Khaled Maghib, Hend Ashour
Asmaa M ShamsEldeen, Department of Physiology, Cairo University, Cairo 11956, Egypt
Sara A Hosny, Department of Histology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11956, Egypt
Khaled Maghib, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11956, Egypt
Hend Ashour, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia
Hend Ashour, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11956, Egypt
Author contributions: ShamsEldeen AM and Ashour H conceptualized the main points, drafted the original manuscript, and revised the text; Hosny SA and Maghib K drafted the original manuscript and revised the text. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
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 NonCommercial (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: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Asmaa M ShamsEldeen, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, Cairo University, Al-Saray Street, Cairo 11956, Egypt. asmaa82shamseldeen@gmail.com
Received: March 25, 2025 Revised: April 12, 2025 Accepted: July 10, 2025 Published online: August 26, 2025 Processing time: 149 Days and 20.9 Hours
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow or adipose tissue have promising potential in regenerative medicine. The regenerative capacity of MSCs depends on their successful migration and engraftment at the injured site. Several preclinical and clinical studies have reported that MSCs effectively treat cardiac dysfunction. However, significant obstacles to MSC homing include peripheral sequestration and low survival rates. MSC-secreted extracellular vesicles exhibit effects similar to those of MSCs, contributing to cellular proliferation, differentiation, and various paracrine functions. This review explores the molecular pathways and mechanisms by which MSCs and extracellular vesicles modulate cardiac injuries. Additionally, we discuss the challenges associated with MSC homing and various strategies to enhance the process.
Core Tip: In clinical and experimental research, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are thought to hold promising therapeutic potential. Globally, cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of mortality. Thus, studying the specific molecular pathways by which MSCs mitigate cardiac injuries is essential to improving their therapeutic applications in the future. Through their immunoregulatory, anti-apoptotic, antifibrotic, antioxidant, and angiogenic activities, MSCs can influence the course of cardiovascular diseases. Successful homing and engraftment are necessary for the regenerative capacity of MSCs. Meanwhile, this review also focuses on the underlying mechanisms of MSC homing and the challenges that may hinder their effects.
