Stem Cells for Cardiovascular Disease

Adult stem cells, when exposed to new environments, are remarkably plastic in their developmental potential. Bone marrow stem cells provide a promising therapy in the restoration of myocardial infarction and prevent post infarct congestive heart failure, as there is evidence that cells, such as mesenchymal stem, hematopoietic stem and multipotent adult progenitor, can generate new cardiomyocytes in animals and humans. This review summarizes stem cell therapy for cardiac regeneration after myocardial infarction, including a brief overview of ongoing clinical trials, and outlines the scientific and clinical hurdles that need to be overcome before this therapy can be fully used clinically.