Cardiac MRI Reveals Matured Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocyte Therapy Attenuates Adverse Remodelling in Guinea Pigs

Motivation: Assessing the therapeutic integration and contractile changes using matured pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) for myocardial infarction (MI) remains challenging. Current limitations in in vivo evaluation slow progress in developing PSC-CM therapy to attenuate remodeling after injury. Goal(s): To determine whether matured PSC-CMs improve ventricular function and scar integration using MRI biomarkers in a guinea pig model. Approach: Cine and diffusion MRI measured function and structure in cell-treated versus sham-treated animals, allowing in vivo assessment of regional and global function changes. Results: MRI revealed attenuated ventricular dilation and enhanced wall thickening in the scar region in treated animals, indicating functional integration of PSC-CMs. Impact: This study demonstrates that MRI biomarkers can assess PSC-CM therapy efficacy in vivo, providing a tool to refine regenerative treatments. By enabling precise monitoring of therapeutic integration, this approach may guide optimization of future regenerative therapies toward clinical applications.