Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Regeneration: The Chinese Experience

Document Type

Book Contribution

Publication Date

1-1-2011

Description

In the last decade, stem cell research has gained significant attention in China with exponential increase in support during the last few years. Although both embryonic and adult stem cells can be used for cellular cardiomyoplasty, only clinical studies using adult stem cells are summarized in this chapter with our results described in detail. We harvested stem cells from skeletal muscle (satellite cells) or bone marrow from different patients and utilized for cellular cardiomyoplasty. Eighteen male patients suffering acute myocardial infarction were evenly assigned to coronary artery bypass graft and autologous satellite cell implantation or percutaneous coronary intervention and autologous bone marrow cell intra-coronary infusion. Cardiac functions were assessed before and at six month after the treatment. All patients survived the procedures without obvious arrhythmia, had an uneventful recovery, and were discharged from the hospital. Significant improvement in NYHA classification and left ventricular ejection fraction were observed to a similar degree for both treatments at six month later. Comparable improvements in local contractility, blood perfusion, tissue viability, and wall thickness at the infarct area for all patients receiving either type of autologous stem cells were also found. A longer follow-up time and large scale randomized controlled trail will be needed.

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