[Cell therapy for acute myocardial infarction].

Despite important progress in cardiology, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is the major cause of congestive heart failure and subsequent mortality. The rationale for cell therapy to be administered after AMI is derived from the assumption that given the insufficient regeneration in the injured heart tissue, stem cells from the bone marrow may be able to replace or repair damaged vascular and cardiac tissue. Results of the first phase I clinical trials using bone marrow stem/progenitor cell therapy for AMI were published in 2002 to 2004. Although not designed to test the efficacy of the intervention, the initial trials indicated a promising improvement in a number of clinical outcomes and cardiac function and suggested the intervention was safe. Recently, randomized controlled trials of cardiac cell therapy for AMI were published, with mixed results. A meta-analysis including 13 trials with a total of 811 participants showed an improved left ventricular ejection fraction by 2.99%. A large multicentre international trial is warranted to further document the efficacy of cardiac cell therapy on clinical outcomes.