Myocardial regeneration with stem cells: pharmacological possibilities for efficacy enhancement

Cell therapy through the application of stem or progenitor cells to regenerate and repair damaged myocardium has gone from the bench to clinical trial. The functional benefits observed in clinical trials are, however, moderate, and many challenges need to be overcome before cell therapy can be put into widespread clinical use. Better understanding of the signals and molecules that promote cell proliferation, differentiation, engraftment and survival may lead to development of pharmacological agents that enhance the capacity of stem/progenitor cells for myocardial regeneration. The present review will provide a critical analysis of the merits and limitations of different populations of stem/progenitor cells and discuss the potential of pharmacological strategies for enhancing the efficacy of cell therapy for myocardial regeneration.