Myoblast transplantation: feasibility, safety and efficacy

Cell transplantation is emerging as a potentially new means of improving function in patients with advanced ischemic heart failure. Skeletal autologous myoblasts have been the first cells to be used clinically as they feature several advantages, but bone marrow stem cells might represent the second generation. Whereas the feasibility of myoblast transplantation is well established, the safety record appears equally satisfactory, with the caveat of a risk of arrhythmias which needs to be better characterized. Preliminary data regarding efficacy are encouraging, but need to be validated by large prospective randomized trials.