Medizinische Universität Graz - Research portal
Selected Publication:
Morsi Moataz, K.
Cell based therapy after myocardial infarction
The potential of stem cells
[ Diplomarbeit ] Medical University of Graz; 2013. pp. 70
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- Authors Med Uni Graz:
- Advisor:
- Stiegler Philipp
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- Abstract:
- Acute myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. One of the major complications of myocardial infarction is the process commonly referred to as ventricular remodeling, which causes ventricular dilatation leading to ventricular insufficiency and heart failure. Currently, the only fundamental therapy available for refractory heart failure is heart transplantation. During the last 20 years, stem cell transplantation has evolved as a possible therapy for post-myocardial infarction conditions. Different types of stem cells have been found to assist cardiac regeneration and prevent or even reverse the process of ventricular remodeling. A literature research was conducted with the aim of gathering data about the different types of stem cells that have the potential to assist in cardiac regeneration and the results achieved through preclinical animal trials, as well as clinical human trials, using stem cell based therapies to treat post-myocardial infarction conditions. Another aim of this literature research is to gather information concerning the safety of stem cell transplantation. Finally, this research aims at finding out whether or not stem cell therapy is developed enough to be used in clinical treatment of patients that suffered from myocardial infarction. An increased cardiac function and reduced infarct size were reported in the results of many animal trials. Bone marrow derived stem cells were the most common type of cells used in the clinical trials. While most of the mid-term and long-term human trials reported an increased cardiac function as well as other therapeutic effects of stem cells transplantation after myocardial infarction, some human trials reported no therapeutic effects at all. All the human trials reviewed in this paper suggested the safety of stem cells transplantation in cardiac patients. However, it seems that this novel therapy needs to be further developed before it could be applied as a standard therapy. Future research should aim at exploring different aspects of stem cell transplantation after myocardial infarction, such as the mechanism through which stem cell transplantation contributes in cardiac regeneration, the ideal cell type for cardiac regeneration, the most efficient method of cell delivery, the best timing for cell transplantation and the dose of cells that should be injected.