Heart failure (HF) is a common condition in older adults that results from the complex interplay of age-related diseases and age-associated physiologic changes. It presents a multifactorial, systemic disease in which-after cardiac injury-structural, neurohumoral, cellular, and molecular mechanisms are activated and act as a network to maintain physiological functions. The incidence and prevalence of heart failure increase strikingly with age and make heart failure the most common reason for hospitalization among older adults. Although outcomes for older adults with heart failure have improved over time, mortality, hospitalization, and rehospitalization rates remain high.

Despite significant advances in understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of HF over the last three decades, HF is a progressive condition with a rising prevalence. It is estimated that 5% of patients with HF have end-stage, or stage D disease, carrying 1- and 5-year mortality rates of 28% and 80%. Heart failure (HF) is a significant public health concern, affecting nearly 20 million people worldwide, with a projected 25% increase in prevalence by 2030. Concomitantly, HF-associated healthcare expenditures are expected to more than double by 2030. For example, current US costs for HF are estimated at $30 billion. The fundamental treatment of end-stage heart failure is heart transplantation, which is limited by lack of donors, criteria of selected patients, and risk of surgery. Thus, heart regeneration holds great potential to offer innovative therapy to treat heart failure patients, and regenerative therapies are highly in demand as a new treatment strategy.

HiCM-188 is derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and is ready to be transplanted into injured heart tissue. It has been proved to modestly improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction, mainly through paracrine mechanisms. Considering the minimal number of donor organs for heart transplantation, HiCM-188 sheds light on cardiac regeneration to treat heart failure.