Evidence for the existence of CD34(+) angiogenic stem cells in human first‐trimester decidua and their therapeutic for ischaemic heart disease

Stem cell transplantation is nearly available for clinical application in the treatment of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), where it may be joined traditional methods (intervention and surgery). The angiogenic ability of seed cells is essential for this applicability. The aim of this study was to reveal the presence of CD34(+) angiogenic stem cells in human decidua at the first trimester and to use their strong angiogenic capacity in the treatment of IHD. In vitro, human decidual CD34(+) (dCD34(+)) cells from the first trimester have strong proliferation and clonality abilities. After ruling out the possibility that they were vascular endothelial cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), dCD34(+) cells were found to be able to form tube structures after differentiation. Their angiogenic capacity was obviously superior to that of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). At the same time, these cells had immunogenicity similar to that of BMSCs. Following induction of myocardial infarction (MI) in adult rats, infarct size decreased and cardiac function was significantly enhanced after dCD34(+) cell transplantation. The survival rate of cells increased, and more neovasculature was found following dCD34(+) cell transplantation. Therefore, this study confirms the existence of CD34(+) stem cells with strong angiogenic ability in human decidua from the first trimester, which can provide a new option for cell‐based therapies for ischaemic diseases, especially IHD.