Human iPSC-Derived Cardiac Progenitor Cells Recapitulate Endogenous CPC Function and Offer a Rejuvenated Cell Source for Cardiac Regeneration

Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) represent a promising alternative to CPC isolation from adult hearts avoiding the need for invasive myocardial biopsy and potentially overcoming the age-related decline in CPC function. Human iPSC-derived CPCs have previously been generated however current strategies are limited by the generation of developmentally immature and heterogeneous progenitor populations with restricted expansion capacity. A lack of donor-matched comparisons with native human CPCs has also limited insight into their developmental fidelity, functional competence, and translational relevance. Together, this study provides the first comprehensive donor-matched comparison of hiPSC-derived and native CPCs, establishing hiPSC-CPCs as an accessible, standardised, and rejuvenated progenitor source that closely mirrors native CPC identity and function. These findings support the potential application of hiPSC-CPCs for cardiac regenerative medicine applications.