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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Cellular Encapsulation Enhances Cardiac Repair Rebecca D. Levit, MD;* Natalia Landazuri, PhD;* Edward A. Phelps, PhD; Milton E. Brown, BS; Andres J. García, PhD; Michael E. Davis, PhD; Giji Joseph, MS; Robert Long, Jr, PhD; Susan A. Safley, PhD; Jonathan D. Suever, PhD; Alicia N. Lyle, PhD; Collin J. Weber, MD; W. Robert Taylor, MD, PhD
Background-—Stem cells for cardiac repair have shown promise in preclinical trials, but lower than expected retention, viability, and efficacy. Encapsulation is one potential strategy to increase viable cell retention while facilitating paracrine effects. Methods and Results-—Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) were encapsulated in alginate and attached to the heart with a hydrogel patch in a rat myocardial infarction (MI) model. Cells were tracked using bioluminescence (BLI) and cardiac function measured by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). Microvasculature was quantified using von Willebrand factor staining and scar measured by Masson’s Trichrome. Post-MI ejection fraction by CMR was greatly improved in encapsulated hMSC-treated animals (MI: 343%, MI+Gel: 353%, MI+Gel+hMSC: 392%, MI+Gel+encapsulated hMSC: 561%; n=4 per group; P