The transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a promising approach for tissue repairing, but the survival, engraftment and migration of these cells in the recipient tissue may be compromised by the necrotic and oxidative microenvironment present there. Herein we investigated whether cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) isolated from human heart biopsies could be protected from an oxidative stress by treatment with clovamide, a natural polyphenolic compound previously isolated in Trifolium

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... ratense (red clover) and cocoa (Theobroma cacao) endowed of anti-oxidant activity. Oxidative stress was induced by short-term H2O2 treatment, and evaluated by ROS production, lipid peroxidation and apoptosis. Treatment of cells with clovamide after oxidative stress showed beneficial effects in terms of reduction of ROS production and of lipid peroxidation, as well as in protection from apoptosis and activation of caspases. These results indicate a possible role of clovamide as protective agent against redox insult. This could positively affect the fate of the transplanted CPCs, which could become more resistant to the hostile microenvironment, and thus show better survival and engraftment. Citation: Antonini S, Colangelo D, Oltolina F, et al. Clovamide protects cardiac progenitor cells from H 2 O 2 -induced oxidative stress.