Cardiac Cell Therapy -- Mixed Results from Mixed Cells

NEJM -- Cardiac Cell Therapy -- Mixed Results from Mixed Cells: "Despite substantial advances in treatment, ischemic cardiac injury and the ventricular dysfunction it can provoke remain major causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. The endogenous regenerative capacity of the heart appears inadequate to repair injured myocardium, leading to the cumulative loss of cardiomyocytes over the lifetime of a patient. This may contribute to the prevalence of heart failure as a diagnosis at hospital admission — particularly among the elderly.
For these reasons, experiments in animals suggesting that the transfer of cells derived from bone marrow (BMC) could dramatically improve cardiac function after infarction through regeneration of the myocardium1 or neovascularization2 generated tremendous excitement. In addition, they stimulated clinical studies suggesting that this approach is feasible, safe, and potentially effective in humans.3,4 In this issue of the Journal, Schächinger et al.,5 Assmus et al.,6 and Lunde et al.7 — following authors of other recent reports8,9 — provide a realistic perspective on this approach while leaving room for cautious optimism and underscoring the need for further study (Table 1). "