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Screening and characterization of natural extracts as dual-functional regulators for cardiomyocyte regeneration and cardiac repair

Summary

Researchers discovered that Ganoderma lucidum water extract can help convert stem cells into heart muscle cells and improve heart function after a heart attack in mice. The extract works by activating a specific cellular pathway called Wnt signaling that is important for heart development. This natural compound shows promise as a dual-action therapy that both regenerates damaged heart tissue and prevents further injury, offering a new approach to treating heart disease using natural products.

Background

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of global mortality, with limited regenerative capacity of cardiomyocytes following myocardial injury. Natural products have shown promise in promoting stem cell differentiation and cardiac repair, offering potential synergistic benefits when combined with stem cell therapies.

Objective

To systematically evaluate natural extracts for their potential to enhance cardiomyocyte differentiation and facilitate cardiac repair using a Tnnt2H2B-mCherry reporter mouse embryonic stem cell line to identify effective inducers of cardiomyocyte regeneration.

Results

Ganoderma lucidum water extract (GLW) significantly enhanced cardiomyocyte differentiation, upregulating cardiac-specific markers (Tnnt2, Myh6) and transcription factors (Isl1, Nkx2.5, Gata4, Mef2c). GLW modulated the Wnt signaling pathway and in vivo experiments demonstrated improved cardiac function, increased ejection fraction, and enhanced cardiomyocyte proliferation in myocardial infarction models.

Conclusion

GLW extract demonstrates dual-functional therapeutic potential for myocardial regeneration and injury mitigation through Wnt signaling pathway activation. These findings provide novel insights into natural product-based interventions for cardiovascular disease management and establish a foundation for developing integrated cardiovascular therapeutic systems.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMC12657391, PMID: 41322490, DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2025.1701482
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