Autologous cell therapy for cardiac repair

While new therapies have improved the prognosis of patients post acute myocardial infarction, many patients still suffer from irreversible damage and live with the debilitating consequences. However, with the advent of stem cell-based therapies, future treatments may enable us to harness the potential of autologous stem cells to prevent and even reverse heart damage.

We outline the results of the early clinical trials using autologous cell therapy and highlight the hurdles and limitations that still need to be addressed. We also discuss new approaches that hold promise for developing the next generations of autologous cell therapy by exploring strategies to enhance their regenerative activity using biomaterials, genetic modification, optimal cell types and small molecule preconditioning.

Autologous cell therapy may be on the cusp of being widely adopted for the treatment of patients with large areas of myocardial damage. Techniques to enhance the activity and retention of autologous cell products may represent the next generation of this therapy.