Cardiac Progenitor Cell Metabolism

Metabolism has emerged recently as an important determinant of stem cell function. Changes in metabolic signaling pathways precede changes in stem cell molecular and functional response. Pluripotent stem cells are highly proliferative and known to exhibit increased glycolysis. Similarly, adult stem cells reside in tissue niches in a quiescent state operating via glycolysis. Upon activation, adult stem cell metabolism transitions from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation which coincides with reduced proliferation and multilineage potential. In the heart, different populations of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) have been identified. CPCs regenerative potential is linked to changes in metabolic characteristics of cells, impacting cardiac repair following injury. Here, we discuss the methodologies for isolation and characterization of a novel cardiac progenitor cell population from the heart including measurement its metabolic features.