Assessing the Potential Benefits of Stem Cell Therapy in Cardiac Regeneration for Patients With Ischemic Heart...

Myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, or ischemic heart disease (IHD), remains one of the most fatal health conditions worldwide due to the limited regenerative capacity of the heart muscle after infarction. Conventional medical treatments primarily focus on symptom control and tissue preservation but fail to address the loss of cardiomyocytes, the cells responsible for heart contraction. This systematic review explores the hypothesis that stem cell therapies can enhance cardiac regeneration by replacing or repairing damaged myocardium, with a focus on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The review was restricted to literature published between 2015 and 2024, sourced from PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. This timeframe reflects advances in stem cell research and regenerative therapies. Findings from trials such as Bone Marrow-Derived Mononuclear Cell Therapy in Acute Myocardial Infarction (BAMI) and Cardiopoietic Stem Cell Therapy in Heart Failure (C-CURE) suggest that stem cell therapies may improve left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and reduce infarct size. However, the heterogeneity of trials, small sample sizes, and short follow-up durations limit the generalizability of these results. Long-term benefits, including improved survival rates and reduced hospital readmissions, remain inconclusive. Ethical concerns, particularly the use of ESCs, pose additional challenges, including controversies over embryonic sources and varying regulatory landscapes. Key areas for advancement include optimizing stem cell survival and differentiation, with genetic engineering to enhance tissue repair capabilities considered the most critical for improving clinical outcomes. The integration of regenerative treatments such as extracellular vesicle therapy, derived from stem cells to modulate repair, also shows promise. Imaging techniques, such as MRI and PET, provide real-time monitoring of stem cell effects, offering insights into therapeutic efficacy and safety. Despite promising results from preclinical models and early-phase trials, the full therapeutic potential of stem cell therapy for IHD remains unrealized. Effective treatment protocols, addressing patient-specific factors, ethical considerations, and long-term outcome evaluations, are essential. This review emphasizes the need for ongoing research and clinical development to maximize the potential of stem cell-based approaches in cardiac repair.