Dual effects of VEGF-B on activating cardiomyocytes and cardiac stem cells to protect the heart against short- and long-term ischemia-reperfusion injury

Aims To investigate whether vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B) improves myocardial survival and cardiac stem cell (CSC) function in the ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) heart and promotes CSC mobilization and angiogenesis.