autologous myoblast sheet

Autologous myoblast sheet is a regenerative cell therapy product consisting of a monolayer of skeletal myoblasts derived from a patient's own muscle tissue. Developed by researchers at Osaka University and commercialized as HeartSheet by Terumo Corporation, the therapy involves harvesting myoblasts from the vastus lateralis, expanding them in vitro, and culturing them on temperature-responsive surfaces to create a scaffold-free cell sheet. This sheet is surgically transplanted onto the epicardium of patients with severe heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Unlike direct intramyocardial injection, the sheet format preserves cell-to-cell junctions and the extracellular matrix. The therapeutic mechanism is primarily paracrine; the transplanted cells secrete growth factors such as VEGF, HGF, and IGF-1, which stimulate angiogenesis, attenuate fibrosis, and improve cardiac function by promoting tissue repair and reversing ventricular remodeling.

Brand names

HeartSheet

Other names

skeletal myoblast sheetautologous skeletal myoblast sheet