Heart disease due to myocardial infarction and the ensuing heart failure represent a major unmet medical need. Approved treatments do not prevent loss of cardiac muscle or reduce scar formation, both of which weaken heart function. Cell-based therapies currently being investigated both preclinically and clinically have the potential to address these underlying problems either by actually replacing lost tissue or by supplying paracrine growth factors that may have multiple beneficial effects such as reduction of inflammation, increase of blood supply, improvement in cell survival, and reduction of scar size. The best cell types, stage of disease to target, and delivery method to improve heart function are currently unclear. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine supports multiple different cell-therapy strategies for heart disease, offering hope that improved treatments will be available for patients in the future. SignificanceHeart attack and the heart failure that often follows represent an enormous financial burden and unmet medical need. Cell therapy is being actively explored to improve cardiac function for both of these forms of heart disease. The cell therapy and tissue engineering efforts supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to improve heart function after a myocardial infarction and during heart failure span a variety of novel approaches, many of which go beyond current approaches in clinical trials.
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