Stem-Cell Therapy for the Ischemically Damaged Myocardium.
Preliminary investigations have addressed the ability of autologous bone-marrow-derived stem cells infused into the coronary artery to repair damaged cardiac tissue as judged by subsequent improvement in left ventricular contractile function. Does such therapy pose the danger of adverse events, such as lethal ventricular arrhythmias? Additional cell types also being studied include embryonic stem cells, fetal cardiomyocytes, skeletal myoblasts, endothelial and cardiac progenitor cells, and peripheral blood CD34 cells. Some results of preliminary trials in patients following acute myocardial infarction and in advanced heart failure patients will be reviewed.