title: Repair of infarcted myocardium by autologous intracoronary mononuclear bone marrow cell transplantation in humans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Experimental data suggest that bone marrow-derived cells may contribute to the healing of myocardial infarction (MI). For this reason, we analyzed 10 patients who were treated by intracoronary transplantation of autologous, mononuclear bone marrow cells (BMCs) in addition to standard therapy after MI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After standard therapy for acute MI, 10 patients were transplanted with autologous mononuclear BMCs via a balloon catheter placed into the infarct-related artery during balloon dilatation (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty). Another 10 patients with acute MI were treated by standard therapy alone. After 3 months of follow-up, the infarct region (determined by left ventriculography) had decreased significantly within the cell therapy group (from 30+/-13 to 12+/-7%, P=0.005) and was also significantly smaller compared with the standard therapy group (P=0.04). Likewise, infarction wall movement velocity increased significantly only in the cell therapy group (from 2.0+/-1.1 to 4.0+/-2.6 cm/s, P=0.028). Further cardiac examinations (dobutamine stress echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography, and catheterization of the right heart) were performed for the cell therapy group and showed significant improvement in stroke volume index, left ventricular end-systolic volume and contractility (ratio of systolic pressure and end-systolic volume), and myocardial perfusion of the infarct region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate for the first time that selective intracoronary transplantation of autologous, mononuclear BMCs is safe and seems to be effective under clinical conditions. The marked therapeutic effect may be attributed to BMC-associated myocardial regeneration and neovascularization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf, Germany. Strauer@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: Bodo E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Strauer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brehm
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeus
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Köstering
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.forename: Rüdiger V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Sorg
authors.forename: Gesine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kögler
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wernet
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015635:Radionuclide Ventriculography