Cell augmentation strategies for cardiac stem cell therapies.

Myocardial infarction (MI) has been the primary cause of death in developed countries, resulting in a major psychological and financial burden for society. Current treatments for acute MI are directed toward rapid restoration of perfusion to limit damage to the myocardium, rather than promoting tissue regeneration and subsequent contractile function recovery. Regenerative cell therapies (CTs), in particular those using multipotent stem cells (SCs), are in the spotlight for treatment post-MI. Unfortunately, the efficacy of CTs is somewhat limited by their poor long-term viability, homing, and engraftment to the myocardium. In response, a range of novel SC-based technologies are in development to provide additional cellular modalities, bringing CTs a step closer to the clinic. In this review, the current landscape of emerging CTs and their augmentation strategies for the treatment post-MI are discussed. In doing so, we highlight recent advances in cell membrane reengineering via genetic modifications, recombinant protein immobilization, and the utilization of soft biomimetic scaffold interfaces.