This book intends to give us a comprehensive look at MSCs from both the viewpoint of basic research to clinical investigations，presenting the pros and cons of MSC therapy for ischemic heart disease，highlighting recent discoveries in MSCs biological and immunological characteristics，multilineage transdifferentiation and utilization in cardiac repair，current status in clinical application，etc. We hope this book will be helpful for both researchers and cardiologists engaged in stem cell researches.

Stem cell research has the potential to affect the lives of millions of people around the world.This research is now regularly front-page news，and realizing the promise ofmesenchymal stem cells for yielding new medical therapies will require us to grapple with more than just scientific uncertainties.Mesenchymal Stem CeUs for the Heart From Bench to Bedside presents the cytobiological characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells from the isolation，culture，transmembrane ion currents，migration and differentiation in vitro to the repairing of injured myocardium and tissue reconstruction in vivo，including the results of basic research and the real possibility for treatments and ultimately for cures for cardiac diseases for which adequate therapies do not exist.The book is intended for clinical stem cell researchers in cardiovasology，hematology，cytobiology，molecular biology，cell and tissue engineering，and other related fields.

1 MSCs Isolation and Culture Ex Vivo

 1.1 Cell Isolation

1.1.1 Direct Adherence Method

1.1.2 Density Gradient Centrifugation

1.1.3 Magnetic Microbead or Flow Cytometry Method

 1.2 Cell Culture

1.2.1 Materials

1.2.2 Procedures

 1.3 Cell Cryopreservation and Thawing

1.3.1 Materials

1.3.2 Procedures

 References

2 MSCs Identification

 2.1 Minimal Criteria

 2.2 Some Comments of the Criteria

 2.3 Other Methods

2.3.1 Morphology Characteristics

2.3.2 Other Markers

 2.4 Conclusion

 References

3 Biological Characteristics of MSCs

 3.1 Surface Markers and Paracrine Characteristics

3.1.1 Surface Markers

3.1.2 Paracrine Characteristics of MSCs

 3.2 Electrophysiological Properties of MSCs and Their Electric Coupling with Cardiomyocytes

3.2.1 Characterization of Ion Channels in MSCs

3.2.2 Why Does an Individual Cell Express Different Currents?

3.2.3 Electric Coupling of MSCs with Host Cardiomyocytes

 3.3 Proliferation of MSCs and Telomerase Properties

3.3.1 Structure and Function of Telomeres and Telomerase

3.3.2 Telomere and Telomerase in MSCs

 3.4 Multilineage Transdifferentiation of MSCs

3.4.1 MSCs and Cardiomyogenesis

3.4.2 Differentiation Fate of MSCs

 3.5 Immunological Characteristics of MSCs

3.5.1 Immunological Characteristics of MSCs

3.5.2 In vivo Studies

3.5.3 Imnmne-related Properties of MSCs in Cardiology...

 3.6 Conclusion

 References

4 Utilization of MSCs for Repairing Cardiomyocytes

 4.1 Application of MSCs on Myocardial Infarction

 4.2 Application of MSCs on Cardiomyopathy and Chronic Heart Failure

 4.3 Conclusion

 References

5 Current Status of MSCs in Clinical Application

 5.1 The Type and Number of Transplanted Cells

 5.2 Cell Preparation

 5.3 The Time Point and Pathway of Cell Transplantation

 5.4 Others

 5.5 Conclusion

 References

6 MSCs as a Vector of Gene Engineering

 6.1 Adenoviruses and Angiogenesis-related Genes

 6.2 Adeno-associated Virus (AAV) and Anti-inflammation Related Genes

 6.3 Retrovirus and Anti-apoptosis Related Genes

 6.4 Lentivirus and Pacemaker Current Gene

 6.5 Conclusion

 References

7 Feasibility of MSCs Transplantaion

 7.1 General Ethical Considerations

 7.2 Safety Issues

 7.3 Informed Consent

 7.4 Conclusion

 References

8 Status and Expectation of MSCs Therapy

 8.1 Clinical Application and Outcomes

 8.2 Mechanism of Therapeutic Effects

 8.3 Expectations with MSCs Therapy

 References

Index