The Role of Microenvironment in Preserving the Potency of Adult Porcine Pulmonary Valve Stem Cells .

Background And Objective: The potency of tissue resident stem cells is regulated primarily by inputs from the local microenvironment. Isolation of stem cells through enzymatic digestion of tissue may affect epigenetic regulation of cell fate and performance. Here we employ a non-enzymatic method to harvest and investigate tissue resident stem cells from the adult porcine pulmonary valve.

Tetralogy of Fallot: aorto-pulmonary collaterals and pulmonary arteries have distinctly different transcriptomes.

Background: Tetralogy of Fallot patients with pulmonary atresia (TOF/PA) present a pulmonary blood supply directly from aortic collateral arteries. Major aorto-pulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) present substantial clinical and surgical management challenges. Surgical operations to reestablish and promote further development of a pulmonary arterial connection preferentially utilize MAPCAs for reconstruction of central pulmonary arteries.