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. 2012 Feb;42(2):71-9.
doi: 10.4070/kcj.2012.42.2.71. Epub 2012 Feb 27.

A long road for stem cells to cure sick hearts: update on recent clinical trials

Yong Sook Kim  1 , Youngkeun Ahn
Affiliations

A long road for stem cells to cure sick hearts: update on recent clinical trials

Yong Sook Kim et al. Korean Circ J. 2012 Feb.

Abstract

The contribution of stem cells to cure damaged hearts has finally been unraveled. A large number of preclinical and clinical studies have showed beneficial outcomes after myocardial infarction. In this review, the current understanding of stem cell therapy in preclinical and clinical experiences is summarized. Stem cells from bone marrow have shown a potential to improve cardiac performance after myocardial infarction in animal and early clinical studies. Clinical trials from all over the world have provided safety assessments of stem cell therapy with marginal improvement of clinical outcomes. Thus, further investigations should be encouraged to resolve the discrepancies between studies, clinical issues, and unclear translational findings. This review provides information and commentary on key trials for stem cell-based treat-ment of cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: Animal experimentation; Clinical trial; Myocardial infarction; Peer review, research; Stem cells.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

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