New Insights into Cardiac Regeneration: hiPSC-derived Cardiomyocytes Patches Remodel the Injured Heart

• 2026/03/16
• NEWrelease

We are pleased to announce that a research paper authored by our scientists has been published in the scientific journal iScience (Cell Press).

Title: “Human iPSC cardiomyocyte patch transplantation modifies extracellular matrix and fibroblast behavior after myocardial infarction”

Journal: iScience

URL: https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(26)00716-9

In this paper, human iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte patches were shown to have the potential to contribute to improvement of cardiac function in the injured heart after myocardial infarction through reconstruction of scar tissue(fibrotic tissue replacing damaged myocardium).

In the study, transplantation of the cardiomyocyte patch was associated with an increased collagen type I/III ratio in the infarcted area, improved collagen fiber alignment, improved tissue elasticity, and reduced fibrosis in the remote myocardium.

These findings suggest that qualitative improvement of the infarct scar may improve the mechanical environment of the left ventricle as a whole and thereby contribute to reverse remodeling, in which the enlarged and distorted heart in heart failure recovers toward a more normal structure and function.

In addition, TGF-β1 secreted from the cardiomyocyte patch was shown to act on cardiac fibroblasts and induce collagen type I. We believe this study provides new insight into reverse remodeling through scar tissue reconstruction, in addition to angiogenesis, as one of the mechanisms of action of cardiomyocyte patch therapy.