Closing Remarks
Recent advances in molecular biology have been remarkably effective in elucidating the pathophysiology and mechanisms of various cardiovascular diseases. New techniques in genetic, cellular, and tissue engineering have had significant impact and sparked a revolution in therapy for severe dis- eases.
In the heart, cardiac myocytes have long been considered terminal dif- ferentiated cells without the potential to multiply and participate in tissue repair. This is in contrast to hepatocytes, which can regenerate when in- jured. However, developments in molecular cardiology and angiology have
raised the possibility of neovascularization as well as the regeneration of myocardium.
Japanese scientists working in the field of cardiovascular disease have been at the forefront of research into the regeneration of impaired heart tissue using methods as diverse as angiogenesis, myogenesis, and tissue engineering. These studies, featuring both experimental and clinical as- sessment, are gaining momentum rapidly and drawing attention to transla- tional research. As shown in this publication, angiogenic cytokines, car- diovascular stem cells, and tissue engineering tools are substantially contributing to this revolution. Another highlight has been the development in many leading centers and hospitals in Japan of therapeutic angiogenesis and vasculogenesis for the treatment of ischemic diseases of the myocar- dium and the limbs. We expect that the developments summarized in the book may have a substantial impact on the progress of regeneration medi- cine.
Finally, we express thanks for the following research grants: Cardio- vascular Disease (13C-1 and 16C-6) and Health and Labor Sciences Re- search Grants (Saisei-003 and Cardiovascular Res-001). These grants have facilitated significant progress in the field of regeneration therapy in car- diovascular disease.
October 20, 2004 Hikaru Matsuda, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine
Index
acellular tissue 83 adrenomeduUin 17 angiogenesis 3, 17, 129,145,
173,183, 191,201213,221 arteriosclerosis obliterans 221 atherosclerosis 117
autologous bone marrow cells 105
autologous bone-marrow implanta- tion 227
autologous bone marrow mononu- clear cells transplantation 191
autologous myoblast 53 autologous transplant 95 B
basic fibroblast growth factor 145
biodegradable scaffold 105 bone marrow 53,117
bone marrow cells 31 bone marrow derived mononuclear
cells 173 bone marrow mononuclear cells
201,213,221
Buerger disease 191 Buerger's disease 227
cardiomyocytes 67 cardiovascular surgery cell sheet 45, 53
cell therapy 17,183 cell transplantation 145 cell-based therapy 31 clinical survey 183
105
controlled release critical limb ischemia
145 191 D
differentiation 67
embryonic stem cells 67 endogenous-stem cell 31 endothelial cell(s) 67, 117 endothelial progenitor cells 3 EPCs 213
exogenous-stem cell 31 G
gene therapy gene transfer graft prosthesis H
heart 31 hepatocyte growth
129,157 high pressure
17, 129, 151 3,173
95
factor 83 I
ischemia 3 ischemic heart disease
lung transplantation
201
129
191 M
micro-angiography microwave 83 myocardial regeneration therapy
53
myocardial tissue engineering 45
238 Index N
neovascularization
small caliber vessel 95 smooth muscle cell 117 P
PAOD 183,213 PERV 83 progenitor 117 pulmonary hypertension R
regenerative medicine S
scaffold sFlt-1
83 173
129
67
tissue engineering 53, 95, 105 transplantation 17
vascular endothelial growth factor 3
vascularization 45 vasculogenesis 3 VEGF 173
ventricular assist system 157
