Aiming at restoring damaged cardiac tissues, regenerative and repair medicine has encountered numerous obstacles, ranging from technical limitations to inconsistent clinical outcomes. These challenges have dampened the initial enthusiasm, underscoring the need for more evidence-based approaches with solid scientific evidence and rigorous clinical evaluation. In transitioning from traditional cell therapy to novel treatments using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, cardiac tissue engineering, as well as novel cell-free, disruptive innovations such as secretome and mRNA therapies, mark a significant shift.
Among these new cell-free approaches, paracrine treatments are moving forward. Exosomes, extracellular vesicles, and secretomes are at the forefront of these emerging therapeutic strategies. These entities embrace a range of proteins and mRNAs, presenting a more complete approach to cardiac repair.
In parallel, the rapid development of mRNA technology has fostered new interest and technical possibilities in its potential for treating cardiovascular diseases. These novel therapies represent a paradigm shift. A single miRNA can target multiple pathways, offering a broad-spectrum approach to cardiac repair.
In this evolving landscape, the ESC Working Group (WG) on Cardiovascular Regenerative and Reparative medicine (CARE) plays a pivotal role, as highlighted in this article. This WG fosters a collaborative environment that embraces clinicians and researchers. This interdisciplinary collaboration ensures that innovation aligns with feasibility and safety. The Group also navigates the intricate ethical, regulatory, educational and practical challenges associated with these advanced therapies.
Our mission: To reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.