Intramyocardial delivery of human CD133+ cells in a SCID mouse cryoinjury model: Bone marrow vs. cord blood-derived cells

Objective: The regenerative potential of endothelial and hematopoietic progenitor cells in the heart may vary according to their origin. This study was designed to compare the functional effects of CD133+ cells from human cord blood and bone marrow in a mouse model of myocardial injury. Methods: 510 5 CD133+ cells from bone marrow (BM CD133 ) or cord blood (UCB CD133 ) were injected in the necrosis border zone of NOD/SCID (non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency) mice with left ventricular cryoinjury (CI+). Transplanted cells were tracked by immunostaining for hNuclear antigen and by PCR for hDNA. Echocardiography was used to measure contractility. Scar size, capillary density, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were evaluated by histology. In addition, the myogenic and endothelial differentiation capacity of BM CD133 and UCB CD133 was compared in vitro.