Cell therapy in the heart

Cell therapy is emerging as a new strategy to circumvent the adverse effects of heart disease. Many experimental and clinical studies investigating the transplantation of cells into the injured myocardium have yielded promising results. Moreover, data from these reports show that transplanted stem cells can engraft within the myocardium, differentiate into major cardiac cell types, and improve cardiac function. However, results from clinical trials show conflicting results. These trials demonstrate significant improvements in cardiac function for up to 6 months. However, these improved functions were diminished when examined at 18 months. In this review, we will discuss the current literature available on cell transplantation, covering studies ranging from animal models to clinical trials.