title: Stem cell therapy for cardiovascular disorders - our clinical experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Autologous Bone Marrow stem Cell transplantation is a viable therapeutic option for patients with end stage heart failure due to cardiomyopathy of varied etiology as there are only limited treatment options other than cardiac transplantation. The rationale behind the application of stem cells in these patients include Stem cells directly replace the affected cells by differentiation into the damaged cell typeStem cells also exert Paracrine effects by secretion of growth factors (VGEF,FGF-1)to stimulate local cell growthIn addition to the above, stem cells release signaling factors which recruit stem cells from elsewhere by modulating the immune system.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this presentation we describe our study on a series of 13 patients who received isolated and expanded CD 34 cells from the bone marrow. Seven had ischemic dysfunction, three had dilated cardiomyopathy and three had primary pulmonary hypertension. Five patients received the stem cells via intracoronary injection, three directly into the myocardium and three intrapulmonary.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients showed functional improvement of the myocardium recorded by non-invasive investigations and improvement in the quality of life. Follow up period ranged from 6 months to 2 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our experience with bone marrow derived stem cells in patients with cardiomyopathy has been encouraging. More studies are planned in the future.
authors.affiliation: Omega Hospital , Mangalore, India ; Fr. Mullers Hospital , Mangalore, India.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Jayakrishnan
authors.affiliation: Frontier Lifeline , Chennai, India 7.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Madhusankar
authors.affiliation: KG Hospital , Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine , Chennai, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manjunath
authors.affiliation: Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine , Chennai, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dedeepiya
authors.affiliation: Nichi-In Centre for Regenerative Medicine , Chennai, India ; Yamanashi University-Faculty of Medicine , Chuo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abraham