Is the regulation of SIRT1 by miRNA-34a the key to mesenchymal stem cell survival?

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are currently being used clinically to treat cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease (1,2). To date, these trials have proven MSCs to be a safe and effective option for the improvement of vascular function, reduction of scar size, and reversal of remodeling in heart failure (3,4). Despite the positive data being collected, there are still a number of challenges that reduce the effectiveness of MSC cell therapy. Cell survival and engraftment in the hostile microenvironment of the diseased myocardium severely limits MSC regenerative potential. Research focusing on MSC biology, including the identification of genes and molecules that regulate aspects of regeneration, is critical towards the establishment of effective cell production and delivery strategies (5,6)