Figure 2.

modVEGF-transfected iPSC-CMs exhibit significantly improved engraftment

(A) Masson’s trichrome staining of rat hearts subjected to myocardial infarction (MI) and transplantation of iPSC-CMs^modVEGF. Remuscularization of the infarct region with iPSC-CMs at 4 weeks post engraftment. (B–D) Representative confocal immunofluorescence images of rat hearts subjected to MI and transplantation of iPSC-CMs 1 week (B and C) or 4 weeks (D) after engraftment: green, cTnT; red, Lamin A + C; blue, DAPI. Note the increased graft size seen in iPSC-CMs^modVEGF-treated groups at 1 week (C) and 4 weeks (D) post transplantation. CMs treated with modVEGF display greater structural integrity post transplantation as made evident by Lamin A + C staining (C and D). Scale bars: 250 μm. Scale bars (zoomed snapshot), 25 μm. (E) Quantitative analysis of the survival of iPSC-CMs in the host heart at 1 week and 4 weeks post MI and iPSC-CMs transplantation. The survival of iPSC-CMs can be detected in both groups at 1 week post transplantation, but only CMs from the MI-iPSC-CMs^modVEGF group at detected at 4 weeks post transplantation. 1 week, MI-iPSC-CMs^modLuc n = 3, MI-iPSC-CMs^modVEGF n = 3; 4 weeks, MI-iPSC-CMs^modLuc n = 7, MI-iPSC-CMs^modVEGF n = 5. All data are means ± SD; ND, not detected; ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01.