Cited2 regulates proliferation and survival in young and old mouse cardiac stem cells.

Background: Cardiac stem cells (CSCs) exhibit age-dependent characteristics. Cited2 has been implicated in the regulation of heart development; however, there is little known about how Cited2 affects CSC aging.

Results: Cited2 mRNA and protein level was downregulated in aging heart tissue and CSCs. Old (O)-CSCs showed decreased differentiation and proliferation capacities as compared to Young (Y)-CSCs, the decrease in cell proliferation, increase in apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase in CSCs are mediated by knocdown CITED2expression in (Y)-CSCs.

Conclusions: Cited2 plays an important role in cell cycle progression and in maintaining the balance between CSC proliferation and apoptosis in the process of aging without influencing cell fate decisions. These findings have important implications for cell-based therapies for heart repair.