Title:Stem Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Ischemic Heart Disease
VOLUME: 14 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Peter Donndorf, Bodo-Eckhard Strauer, Axel Haverich and Gustav Steinhoff
Affiliation:Department of Cardiac Surgery, University of Rostock, Schillingallee 35, 18057 Rostock, Germany.
Keywords:Bone marrow, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, stem cells, transplantation, trial
Abstract:Chronic ischemic heart disease remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although revascularisation
strategies and pharmaceutical therapy are able to delay ventricular remodelling, until today no therapeutic
strategy is available that might prevent or even reverse this process of remodelling and consequent ventricular failure. In
the recent past, experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated the capacity of bone marrow stem cells in cardiac repair
and regeneration of compromised heart muscle. Several clinical trials showed the safety and efficacy of autologous
bone marrow stem cell transplantation in the patients with acute myocardial infarction or chronic ischemic heart disease.
Today the therapeutic strategy of cell administration during cardiac surgery or coronary artery intervention is entering the
clinical practice. In the following Review we will highlight biological as well as methodological backgrounds, indications
and clinical results of cardiac stem cell therapy for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction and chronic ischemic heart
disease.
