Stem Cells Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Stem Cells, including details on research, transplants, therapy, benefits.

Can stem cells mend a broken heart?

Davani S, Deschaseaux F, Chalmers D, Tiberghien P, Kantelip JP

Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, EA 479, IFR 133, Faculté de Médecine, CHU Jean Minjoz, 25000 Besançon, France. siamak.davani@ufc.chu.univ-fcomte.fr

Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of heart failure in developed countries. The therapeutic measures of today are usually not sufficient to prevent left ventricular remodelling as they fall short of actual replacement of necrotic cardiac myocytes. However, current insights into stem cell plasticity have opened up new perspectives for regenerating the infarcted heart. Recently, a wide range of stem/progenitor cell types have been used for cardiac cell therapy (CCT), including embryonic or foetal stem cells, myoblasts, and bone marrow stem cells. To date, the choice of stem cells has yet to be optimised. This review details recent experimental data and discusses the clinical potential of the various stem cell sources for CCT.

Published 10 January 2005 in Cardiovasc Res, 65(2): 305-16.
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