Viability and differentiation of autologous skeletal myoblast grafts in ischaemic cardiomyopathy.
Autologous skeletal myoblast transplantation might improve postinfarction ventricular function, but graft viability and differentiation (ie, proof of concept) has not been shown. A 72-year-old man had autologous cultured myoblasts from his vastus lateralis injected to an area of transmural inferior myocardial infarction in non-reperfused scar tissue. He showed improvement in symptoms and left-ventricular ejection fraction. When he died 17.5 months after the procedure, the grafted post-infarction scar showed well developed skeletal myotubes with a preserved contractile apparatus. 65% of myotubes expressed the slow myosin isoform and 33% coexpressed the slow and fast isoforms (vs 44% and 0.6%, respectively, in skeletal muscle). Myoblast grafts can survive and show a switch to slow-twitch fibres, which might allow sustained improvement in cardiac function.
Hagège
Albert A
AA
Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Department of Cardiology, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou and INSERM EMI-16, Necker-Paris V University, Paris, France. hagege@club-internet.fr
Carrion
Claire
C
Menasché
Philippe
P
Vilquin
Jean-Thomas
JT
Duboc
Denis
D
Marolleau
Jean-Pierre
JP
Desnos
Michel
M
Bruneval
Patrick
P
D000368:Aged; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D032448:Myoblasts, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*