title: Current State of Stem Cell Therapy for Ischemic Heart Disease.
abstract: Improvements in the care of patients with ischemic cardiovascular disease have led to improved survival but also a burgeoning population of patients with advanced ischemic heart disease. Cell therapies offer a novel approach toward cardiac "rejuvenation" via stimulation of new blood vessel growth, enhancing tissue perfusion, and via preservation or even regeneration of myocardial tissue, leading to improvements in cardiac performance after myocardial infarction and in patients with advanced heart failure. Here, we summarize and offer some thoughts on the state of the field of cell therapy for ischemic heart disease, targeting three separate conditions that have been the subject of significant clinical research: enhancing left ventricular recovery after MI, improving outcomes and symptoms in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), and treatment of patients with refractory angina, despite maximal medical therapy.
authors.affiliation: Duke Clinical Research Institute and Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA. povsi001@mc.duke.edu.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Povsic
mesh_terms: D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization / Q000379:methods*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Congestive heart failure; Coronary artery disease; Ischemic heart disease; Progenitor cells; Refractory angina; Stem cells