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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Fabrication of Biologically Derived Injectable Materials for Myocardial Tissue Engineering
Published on: December 20, 2010
Intramyocardial injection of skeletal myoblasts: long-term follow-up with pressure-volume loops
Paul Steendijk1, Pieter C Smits, Marco Valgimigli
1Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. p.steendijk@lumc.nl
Insights
Skeletal myoblast transplantation improved heart function in patients with ischemic heart failure. This cell therapy offers a promising approach for heart failure patients, showing hemodynamic benefits up to one year post-transplant.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cardiomyocytes have limited regenerative capacity, leading to heart failure after myocardial infarction.
- Cell transplantation is a potential therapy for end-stage heart failure.
- Skeletal myoblasts are a viable cell source due to availability and autologous use benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term hemodynamic effects of intramyocardial injection of autologous skeletal myoblasts.
- To assess the impact of this cell therapy on left ventricular function in patients with ischemic heart failure.
Main Methods:
- Intramyocardial injection of autologous skeletal myoblasts in patients with ischemic heart failure.
- Long-term hemodynamic monitoring and assessment of left ventricular function up to 1 year post-transplantation.
Main Results:
- Hemodynamic improvement observed in patients following skeletal myoblast transplantation.
- Positive outcomes were sustained up to 1 year, contrasting with expected functional decline.
Conclusions:
- Intramyocardial injection of autologous skeletal myoblasts demonstrates promising long-term hemodynamic benefits in ischemic heart failure.
- This cell therapy represents a potential therapeutic strategy to improve cardiac performance in heart failure patients.
Abstract:
The human heart has a limited capacity for self-repair because, unlike most other cells, cardiomyocytes do not regenerate. Therefore, if a substantial number of myocytes is lost after a myocardial infarction, the performance of the heart may become severely limited, leading to a condition of heart failure. Recently, cell transplantation has emerged as a potential therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure. Of the various cell types being investigated for this purpose, skeletal myoblasts are an attractive option, because they are readily available from muscle biopsies and, if autologous cells are used, immunosuppression is not required and ethical issues are avoided. Several studies have shown that the cells can survive and differentiate after transplantation, and promising clinical results have been reported. However, effects of this therapy on left ventricular function remain largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the long-term hemodynamic effects of intramyocardial injection of autologous skeletal myoblasts in patients with ischemic heart failure. Our findings indicate hemodynamic improvement after follow-up for up to 1 year, which is especially promising in view of the expected decline in left ventricular function in these patients.
