Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and illness in the European Union, with over 6 million new cases each year and a financial burden exceeding 210 billion Euros.

Heart failure (HF), a critical condition within CVD, results from the loss or dysfunction of cardiomyocytes due to factors such as ischemic disease, myocardial infarction (MI), prolonged inflammation, or chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. Conventional treatments can only delay HF progression, with heart transplantation being the only cure. There is an unmet need for therapies that can address the cellular alterations causing myocardial dysfunction.

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Recent research is focused on finding new therapies to protect and repair the myocardium after injury, during chronic disease, and in aging. A promising approach is using human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSC) and their secretome, including extracellular vesicles (EVs), which can modulate inflammation and support tissue repair.

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In animal models, hMSC-EVs have shown anti-inflammatory and pro-survival effects, improving cardiac function and reducing fibrosis.

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Perinatal hMSCs, derived from tissues like amniotic fluid and membrane, offer advantages over adult hMSCs, such as higher proliferative potential and a more favorable therapeutic profile. These cells also fulfill key criteria for use in future paracrine therapies.

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The project aims to tackle the development of heart failure by identifying the optimal therapeutic combination of cardioprotective molecules released by mesenchymal stromal cells. These cells are isolated from membrane and amniotic fluid samples, considered "clinical waste," collected at full term or following prenatal diagnosis. The combination of these factors will be explored alongside biomaterials to create a formulation for future therapeutic use, designed to be targeted, effective, and tailored to the patient’s specific needs.