Bone marrow stem cell transplantation and coronary artery bypass grafting surgery for chronic ischemic myocardiopathy

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Regenerative Medicine
• Cardiac Surgery

Background:

• Chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy significantly impairs cardiac function.
• Current treatments often have limitations in restoring myocardial viability and function.
• Adult stem cell transplantation offers a potential therapeutic avenue for myocardial regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of bone marrow adult stem cell (ASC) transplantation combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy.
• To assess improvements in cardiac function and myocardial perfusion post-treatment.

Main Methods:

• 12 patients with chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy underwent concomitant ASC transplantation and CABG.
• Cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography (New York Heart Association class, ejection fraction, wall motion score index - WMSI).
• Myocardial perfusion was evaluated using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) at 3, 6, and 12 months.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements observed in functional class, ejection fraction (15-20%), and WMSI (35-45%) over 12 months.
• SPECT revealed enhanced perfusion in ischemic regions, with no changes in fibrous tissue areas.
• ASC transplantation demonstrated safety and reproducibility when performed with CABG.

Conclusions:

• Concomitant ASC transplantation and CABG is a safe and potentially effective strategy for improving cardiac function and perfusion in chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy.
• Further studies with a larger cohort and control group are warranted to confirm these preliminary findings.