Is Stem Cell-Based Therapy Going on or Out for Cardiac Disease?

Acute myocardial infarction and subsequent heart failure are leading causes of death worldwide. Stem cell-based therapies have improved cardiac function in recent clinical trials, but cardiomyocyte regeneration has not been demonstrated in human hearts. Angiogenesis and restoration of cardiac perfusion have been successfully performed using bone marrow derived stem cells and other adult stem cells. Resident cardiac stem cells are known to differentiate into multiple heart cell types, including cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, induced pluripotent stem cells are a focus of research due to the great potential for customized stem cell therapy.