Mary Kearns-Jonker

Mary Kearns-Jonker
Dept of Pathology and Human Anatomy, Loma Linda University School of Medicine,
Loma Linda, CA
Tanzania

Publications
  • Research Article
    Genetically Engineered Mesenchymal Stem Cells Influence Gene Expression in Donor Cardiomyocytes and the Recipient Heart
    Author(s): Mary Kearns-Jonker, Wangde Dai, Mirja Gunthart, Tania Fuentes, Hsiao-Yun Yeh, Paul Gerczuk, Martin Pera, Christine Mummery and Robert A KlonerMary Kearns-Jonker, Wangde Dai, Mirja Gunthart, Tania Fuentes, Hsiao-Yun Yeh, Paul Gerczuk, Martin Pera, Christine Mummery and Robert A Kloner

    Aims: Human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) facilitate post-infarct recovery, but the potential benefit of combination therapy using MSCs and hESC-CMs has not been examined. Our objective was to define the gene expression changes in donor and host-derived cells that are induced in vivo after co-transplantation of cardiomyocytes with and without mesenchymal stem cells expressing the prosurvival gene heme oxygenase 1. Methods and results: Human MSCs were engineered to over-express heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) following lentiviral vector-mediated transduction. Athymic nude rats were subjected to myocardial infarction and received hESC-CMs alone, hESC-CMs plus human MSCs, hESC-CMs plus MSCs overexpressing HO-1, or saline. Real time PCR identified gene expression changes. Cardiac function was assessed by angiography. Co-transplanta.. View More»
    DOI: 10.4172/2157-7633.S1-005

    Abstract PDF