Although treatment for acute myocardial infarction has improved over the past decades, including early reperfusion of occluded coronary arteries, novel therapeutic strategies are required to preserve cardiac function and improve clinical outcomes in patients with ischemic heart disease. Transplantation of stem/progenitor cells have been considered alternative treatments for heart repair, although several issues have been raised from recent findings that stem cell therapy does not -or not yet in its current form—lead to massive muscle regeneration. In fact, after the modest successes of the early clinical trials, research is now exploring the benefits of enhanced stem cell therapy. In this chapter, we will first summarize the most relevant results from clinical trials using stem cells to treat cardiovascular diseases. In this chapter we will critically review the results from the clinical trials so far performed with respect to the use of stem/progenitor cells in cardiac regeneration, and discuss current controversies, unresolved issues, challenges. Finally we will discus novel promising therapeutic strategies, such as stem cell rejuvenation, aimed at increasing the success rate of stem cell therapies for cardiovascular diseases.
Stem Cell Therapies for Cardiac Regeneration: Current Burden—Future Directions
Rosalinda Madonna
2016-01-01
Abstract
Although treatment for acute myocardial infarction has improved over the past decades, including early reperfusion of occluded coronary arteries, novel therapeutic strategies are required to preserve cardiac function and improve clinical outcomes in patients with ischemic heart disease. Transplantation of stem/progenitor cells have been considered alternative treatments for heart repair, although several issues have been raised from recent findings that stem cell therapy does not -or not yet in its current form—lead to massive muscle regeneration. In fact, after the modest successes of the early clinical trials, research is now exploring the benefits of enhanced stem cell therapy. In this chapter, we will first summarize the most relevant results from clinical trials using stem cells to treat cardiovascular diseases. In this chapter we will critically review the results from the clinical trials so far performed with respect to the use of stem/progenitor cells in cardiac regeneration, and discuss current controversies, unresolved issues, challenges. Finally we will discus novel promising therapeutic strategies, such as stem cell rejuvenation, aimed at increasing the success rate of stem cell therapies for cardiovascular diseases.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
