Autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells for ischemic heart failure: REGENERATE-IHD trial

The field of autologous stem/progenitor cell transplantation for cardiovascular diseases has moved rapidly from basic science research to clinical trials. To date, only a handful of pilot studies have reported the use of this novel strategy for heart failure patients. Most of these studies have demonstrated encouraging safety and efficacy data. However, this will need to be validated in large, randomized trials. Here, we introduce the ongoing REGENERATE-IHD trial, which is the largest randomized, placebo-controlled trial in the UK investigating the use of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor and autologous bone marrow-derived stem/progenitor cells to improve cardiac function and symptoms in heart failure patients.