Mesenchymal Stem Cell Sheets for Cardiac Tissue Repair

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for severe heart failure, such as heart transplantation and artificial hearts, are inadequate due to donor shortages, high costs, and complications, while stem cell therapies face ethical, legal, and immune rejection issues, and existing methods like direct injection and scaffold-based delivery suffer from low efficiency and immune responses.

Innovation Solution

The use of mesenchymal stem cell sheets, specifically prepared from umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells, which are applied topically to the heart to improve myocardial function and reduce fibrosis, utilizing a thermo-sensitive petri dish method to form connected cell sheets that maintain extracellular matrix and secrete cytokines for tissue repair.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If heart transplantation is performed, then heart failure treatment effectiveness is improved, but donor availability deteriorates due to severe shortage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment effectivenessVSAvoiddonor availability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses stem cell transplantation to create biological copies or replacements of cardiac tissue instead of relying on whole organ transplantation. Stem cells can differentiate into cardiomyocytes and other cardiac cell types, effectively copying the functional tissue needed to treat heart failure without requiring a complete donor heart organ.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If artificial heart implantation is performed, then short-term transition for heart failure patients is achieved, but complications such as infection and bleeding worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshort-term transition capabilityVSAvoidinfection and bleeding complications

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs stem cells as a temporary, biodegradable solution rather than a permanent mechanical device. Stem cells can provide short-term support and promote tissue regeneration, after which they naturally integrate or degrade, avoiding the long-term complications of mechanical artificial hearts while still providing necessary short-term transition support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Ease of operation

If direct injection of stem cells is used, then treatment simplicity is improved, but cell loss increases leading to low treatment efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment simplicityVSAvoidtreatment efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a hydrogel matrix as a flexible carrier shell that encapsulates stem cells. This thin film structure allows for simple injection administration while protecting the stem cells from rapid loss and degradation, enabling both ease of operation and maintained treatment efficiency through controlled cell delivery and protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

4Productivity

If scaffold-based stem cell transplantation is used, then cell loss is reduced, but immune response worsens due to heterologous substances

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecell retention rateVSAvoidimmune response

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameters of the carrier from traditional rigid scaffolds to a soft, biocompatible hydrogel matrix. This parameter change in material composition and physical properties reduces immunogenicity while maintaining cell retention capabilities, thereby reducing immune response while preserving high cell retention rates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

5Quantity of substance

If bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are used, then source availability is improved, but cell proliferation capacity deteriorates with age

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesource availabilityVSAvoidcell proliferation capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the source parameter from bone marrow to umbilical cord tissue, which provides mesenchymal stem cells with different biological characteristics. Umbilical cord-derived stem cells maintain high proliferation capacity and stemness even when sourced from older individuals (through cord storage), overcoming the age-related deterioration seen in bone marrow stem cells while maintaining source availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The mesenchymal stem cell sheets effectively improve heart function, reduce cardiac remodeling and fibrosis, and minimize immune responses, offering a promising treatment for heart failure with reduced risks and increased efficacy compared to traditional methods.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing a thermo-sensitive petri dish method to form connected cell sheets

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermo-sensitive phase transition: Phase Change

Data Source

PatentUS20220347346A1Mesenchymal stem cell sheet and use thereof

Publication Date: 2022.11.03 BOE REGENERATIVE MEDICINE TECH CO LTD

AI summary

Provided is a method for treating diseases related to cardiac tissue damage or cardiac insufficiency in a subject. The method includes the step of locally applying a mesenchymal stem cell sheet such as an umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell sheet to the heart of the subject. Also provided are related use and compositions of the mesenchymal stem cell sheet.