Cardiovascular epigenetics : phenotypes and mechanisms ” 3 4 Running title : 5 MicroRNA in improving stem cell therapy for CVD 6 7

Improving stem cell therapy in cardiovascular diseases: the potential role of microRNA 1 Review for the call for papers 2 for the section “Cardiovascular epigenetics: phenotypes and mechanisms” 3 4 Running title: 5 MicroRNA in improving stem cell therapy for CVD 6 7 Evelien Nollet, Vicky Y Hoymans, Amaryllis H Van Craenenbroeck Christiaan J Vrints, 8 Emeline M Van Craenenbroeck 9 10 11 Affiliations: 12 1 Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Antwerp University 13 Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium 14 2 Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Translational Pathophysiological Research, University of 15 Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium 16 3 Department of Nephrology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium 17 4 Laboratory of Experimental Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium 18 5 Department of Cardiology, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium 19 20 Corresponding author: 21 Prof. Dr. Emeline Van Craenenbroeck 22 Department of Cardiology, Antwerp University Hospital 23 Wilrijkstraat 10, B-2650 Edegem, Belgium 24 Tel: +32 3 821 46 72 25 E-mail: emeline.vancraenenbroeck@uantwerpen.be 26 27 Word count: 5655 28 29 30 31 32 Articles in PresS. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol (May 20, 2016). doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00239.2016