Stem Cell Therapy in Chronic Cardiac Failure

摘要

Chronic heart failure is a life threatening disease with an increasing frequency. Nowadays, only conventional drug therapy and cardiac resynchronisation therapy may delay ventricular remodeling. There is no basic therapeutic regime available for preventing or even reversing this process. On the basis of encouraging results with the intracoronary stem cell transplantation method in acute myocardial infarction, the application of bone-marrow derived stem cells seems to be ready for the clinical use in patients with ischemic heart disease or with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. We could demonstrate in both groups with chronic heart failure an improved physical activity, an increased life quality, and an improved heart function. The intracoronary application procedure is safe and feasible as well as improves the global heart function in ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease.