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Updated: Mar 3, 2026
Delayed Intramyocardial Delivery of Stem Cells after Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in a Murine Model
Published on: September 3, 2020
Stem cell registry programme for patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting:
Julia Nesteruk1, Natalia Voronina1, Guenther Kundt1
1Reference and Translation Centre for Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy (RTC), Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical FacultyUniversity of RostockRostock18057Germany.
Insights
This study shows that bone marrow stem cell therapy combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) improves heart function for up to five years in ischemic cardiomyopathy patients. Certain patient factors predict a positive response to this stem cell treatment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Stem Cell Therapy
Background:
- Standardizing stem cell therapy necessitates robust safety and efficacy evaluations, including long-term pharmacovigilance.
- A long-term registry program was established to monitor outcomes of stem cell interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of intramyocardial CD133+ bone marrow mononuclear stem cell treatment in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.
- To identify predictors of response to stem cell therapy and assess its impact on functional outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 150 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy receiving either stem cell treatment plus coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or CABG alone.
- Evaluation of mortality rates, major adverse cerebral and cardiac events, and functional parameters up to 14 years post-treatment.
- Stratification of patients into responders and non-responders based on treatment outcomes.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events between stem cell and control groups up to 14 years.
- Sustained improvement in left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) for 5 years in the stem cell group, unlike the CABG-only group.
- Left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) below 30% and left ventricle end-diastolic diameter above 60 mm were identified as independent predictors of functional response.
Conclusions:
- Patients with overt heart failure experience the greatest benefit from CABG combined with intramyocardial CD133+ bone marrow mononuclear cell injection.
- Improved LVEF in the stem cell group persisted for 5 years, outperforming the CABG-only group.
- Patients showing improvement in both LVEF and LVED experienced increased life expectancy.
Aims:
Standardization of stem cell therapy requires application of appropriate methods to evaluate safety and efficacy, including long-term pharmacovigilance. To accomplish this objective, a long-term registry programme was installed.
Methods And Results:
We analysed 150 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, who received intramyocardial CD133+ bone marrow mononuclear stem cell treatment combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or CABG alone. The mortality rate, major adverse cerebral and cardiac events, and functional outcome parameters were evaluated for the time period up to 14 years follow-up. As a result, we have stratified the patient population (96 patients) into responders and non-responders. Furthermore, the analysis of relevant predictors of good response to CD133+ bone marrow mononuclear stem cell treatment was performed. Several positive tendencies related to stem cells transplantation were demonstrated. First, no significant difference in major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events was observed between stem cell and control group up to 14 years follow-up. Second, an improvement of left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) in stem cell group retained for 5 years in contrast with CABG-only group, where no significant changes in LVEF after 2 years were observed. In addition, LVEF under 30% and left ventricle end diastolic diameter above 60 mm were independent predictors of functional response to CD133+ cell therapy.
Conclusions:
Participants with overt heart failure benefit most from CABG combined with intramyocardial injection of CD133+ bone marrow mononuclear cell within the group. An improvement LVEF in stem cell group remained for 5 years in contrast with the CABG-only group. The patients, in whom the improvement of both LVEF and LVED was observed, have benefited by increased life expectancy.
