Bone marrow cell therapy in clinical trials: a review of the literature.

Spurred by remarkable findings in animal studies, there has been strong interest in evaluating the potential of adult stem cells to improve left ventricular function in the past decade. Driven by the need to treat the increasing number of patients with coronary artery disease, numerous studies have attempted to define a role for bone marrow cell therapy in clinical use. However, the conflicting results of these studies can be confusing. This article will review the landmark trials evaluating bone marrow cell therapy in the past decade and describe the current state of adult stem cell therapy and its future direction herein.