Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase-Conditioned Stem Cells for Cardiac Cell-Based Therapy

Abstract

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have adapted novel soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEHI) inhibitors as adjuvant treatment in cardiac cell-based therapy to improve the survival and engraftment of stem cells by pre-conditioning with the sEHI in vitro.

Full Description

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Once cardiac failure has developed, the condition cannot be reversed. In current medical practice, only symptomatic treatment is available to ameliorate the symptoms. Existing cell-based cardiac therapies are being extensively investigated to potentially treat heart failure, as it could replace procedures like cardiac transplantation that are only available as definitive therapy.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have discovered that the survival and engraftment of stem cells (e.g. in cardiac tissue) can be increased by first exposing the stem cells to an inhibitor of soluble epoxide hydrolase in vitro. By using the novel soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEHI) inhibitors as adjuvant treatment in cell-based cardiac therapies, they successfully conditioned stem cells in vitro, which then resulted in significantly reduced oxidative stress causing lowered stem cell apoptosis. The survival of these stem cells is then improved when transplanted into the tissue of a subject. This method is also useful in treating cardiomyopathy or cardiac arrhythmia, as it can either reverse, mitigate, and/or improve the symptoms associated with these conditions.

Applications

• Cardiovascular disease
• Heart failure
• Cardiomyopathy and cardiac arrhythmia

Features/Benefits

• Condition stem cells in vitro
• Reduces oxidative stress
• Lowers stem cell apoptosis
• Improved survival and integration of stem cells in cardiac tissue
• Treatment of cardiomyopathy
• Treatment of cardiac arrhythmia

Patent Status