Published online Nov 26, 2015. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v7.i11.707
Peer-review started: June 1, 2015
First decision: August 4, 2015
Revised: August 20, 2015
Accepted: September 25, 2015
Article in press: September 28, 2015
Published online: November 26, 2015
Processing time: 186 Days and 2.2 Hours
Congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to chronic coronary artery disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality world-wide. Its prevalence is increasing despite advances in medical and device therapies. Cell based therapies generating new cardiomyocytes and vessels have emerged as a promising treatment to reverse functional deterioration and prevent the progression to CHF. Functional efficacy of progenitor cells isolated from the bone marrow and the heart have been evaluated in preclinical large animal models. Furthermore, several clinical trials using autologous and allogeneic stem cells and progenitor cells have demonstrated their safety in humans yet their clinical relevance is inconclusive. This review will discuss the clinical therapeutic applications of three specific adult stem cells that have shown particularly promising regenerative effects in preclinical studies, bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell, heart derived cardiosphere-derived cell and cardiac stem cell. We will also discuss future therapeutic approaches.
Core tip: Cell-based therapy emerged as a new approach to restore damaged heart function. Although cell therapy in experimental animal models is promising, beneficial effects in clinical trials are variable. This review summarizes recent preclinical and clinical applications on three specific adult stem cells (bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell, heart derived cardiosphere-derived cells and cardiac stem cell) and discuss about future approaches.