Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Phase I/II, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Transendocardial Injection of Autologous Human Cells (Bone Marrow or Mesenchymal) in Patients With Chronic Ischemic Left Ventricular Dysfunction and Heart Failure Secondary to Myocardial Infarction.
Brief Summary: The technique of transplanting progenitor cells into a region of damaged myocardium, termed cellular cardiomyoplasty, is a potentially new therapeutic modality designed to replace or repair necrotic, scarred, or dysfunctional myocardium. Ideally, graft cells should be readily available, easy to culture to ensure adequate quantities for transplantation, and able to survive in host myocardium; often a hostile environment of limited blood supply and immunorejection. Whether effective cellular regenerative strategies require that administered cells differentiate into adult cardiomyocytes and couple electromechanically with the surrounding myocardium is increasingly controversial, and recent evidence suggests that this may not be required for effective cardiac repair. Most importantly, transplantation of graft cells should improve cardiac function and prevent adverse ventricular remodeling. To date, a number of candidate cells have been transplanted in experimental models, including fetal and neonatal cardiomyocytes, embryonic stem cell-derived myocytes, tissue engineered contractile grafts, skeletal myoblasts, several cell types derived from adult bone marrow, and cardiac precursors residing within the heart itself. There has been substantial clinical development in the use of whole bone marrow and skeletal myoblast preparations in studies enrolling both post-infarction patients, and patients with chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure. The effects of bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have also been studies clinically.

Currently, bone marrow or bone marrow-derived cells represent highly promising modality for cardiac repair. The totality of evidence from trials investigating autologous whole bone marrow infusions into patients following myocardial infarction supports the safety of this approach. In terms of efficacy, increases in ejection fraction are reported in the majority of the trials.

Chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction resulting from heart disease is a common and problematic condition; definitive therapy in the form of heart transplantation is available to only a tiny minority of eligible patients. Cellular cardiomyoplasty for chronic heart failure has been studied less than for acute MI, but represents a potentially important alternative for this disease.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction secondary to MI.
* Be a candidate for cardiac catheterization.
* Been treated with appropriate maximal medical therapy for heart failure or post-infarction left ventricular dysfunction.
* Ejection fraction less than or equal to 50%.
* Able to perform a metabolic stress test.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Baseline glomerular filtration rate \< 45 ml/min/1.73m2.
* Presence of a mechanical aortic valve or heart constrictive device.
* Documented presence of aortic stenosis (aortic stenosis graded as ≥+2 equivalent to an orifice area of 1.5cm2 or less).
* Documented presence of moderate to severe aortic insufficiency (echocardiographic assessment of aortic insufficiency graded as ≥+2).
* Evidence of a life-threatening arrhythmia (nonsustained ventricular tachycardia ≥ 20 consecutive beats or complete heart block) or QTc interval \> 550 ms on screening ECG. In addition; patients with sustained or a short run of ventricular tachycardia on ECG or 48 hour Ambulatory ECG during the screening period will be removed from the protocol.
* Documented unstable angina.
* AICD firing in the past 60 days prior to the procedure.
* Contra-indication to performance of a magnetic resonance imaging scan.
* Be eligible for or require coronary artery revascularization.
* Have a hematologic abnormality as evidenced by hematocrit \< 25%, white blood cell \< 2,500/ul or platelet values \< 100,000/ul without another explanation.
* Have liver dysfunction, as evidenced by enzymes (ALT and AST) greater than three times the ULN.
* Have a coagulopathy condition = (INR \> 1.3) not due to a reversible cause.
* Known, serious radiographic contrast allergy.
* Known allergies to penicillin or streptomycin.
* Organ transplant recipient.
* Clinical history of malignancy within 5 years (i.e., patients with prior malignancy must be disease free for 5 years), except curatively-treated basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or cervical carcinoma.
* Non-cardiac condition that limits lifespan to \< 1 year.
* On chronic therapy with immunosuppressant medication.
* Serum positive for HIV, hepatitis BsAg, or non-viremic hepatitis C.
* Female patient who is pregnant, nursing, or of child-bearing potential and not using effective birth control.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Signed informed consent, inclusive of release of medical information, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) documentation
* Age 18 years or older
* If the subject or partner is of childbearing potential, he or she must be willing to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method or abstinence) from the time of screening and for a period of at least 16 weeks after procedure
* Female subjects of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test at screening
* Admitted to the clinical center at the time of randomization
* Clinical indication and accepted candidate for implantation of an FDA-approved (US sites only) or Health Canada-approved (Canadian sites only) implantable, non-pulsatile LVAD as a bridge to transplantation or for destination therapy.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Planned percutaneous LVAD implantation
* Anticipated requirement for biventricular mechanical support
* Concomitant arrhythmia ablation at time of LVAD implantation

  -- Planned aortic valve intervention for aortic insufficiency at the time of LVAD implantation
* Cardiothoracic surgery within 30 days prior to randomization
* Spontaneous myocardial infarction related to ischemia due to a primary coronary event such as unstable plaque rupture, erosion or dissection within 30 days prior to randomization
* Prior cardiac transplantation, LV reduction surgery, or cardiomyoplasty
* Acute reversible cause of heart failure (e.g. myocarditis, profound hypothyroidism)
* Stroke within 30 days prior to randomization
* Platelet count \< 100,000/ul within 24 hours prior to randomization
* Acute infectious process: acute bacterial, fungal, or viral disease OR acute exacerbation of chronic infectious disease such as hepatitis
* Presence of \>10% anti-HLA antibody titers with known specificity to MPC donor HLA antigens
* A known hypersensitivity to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), murine, and/or bovine products
* History of a known active malignancy within the past 3 years except for localized prostate cancer, cervical carcinoma in situ, breast cancer in situ, or nonmelanoma skin cancer that has been definitively treated
* Presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
* Received investigational intervention within 30 days prior to randomization
* Treatment and/or an incomplete follow-up treatment of any investigational cell based therapy within 6 months prior to randomization
* Active participation in other research therapy for cardiovascular repair/regeneration
* Prior recipient of stem precursor cell therapy for cardiac repair
* Pregnant or breastfeeding at time of randomization.
* History of known or suspected hypercoagulable state in the opinion of the investigator
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis of chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction secondary to MI.
* Be a candidate for cardiac catheterization.
* Been treated with appropriate maximal medical therapy for heart failure or post-infarction left ventricular dysfunction.
* Ejection fraction between 20% and 50%.
* Able to perform a metabolic stress test.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Baseline glomerular filtration rate \<50 ml/min/1.73m2.
* Presence of a mechanical aortic valve or heart constrictive device.
* Documented presence of aortic stenosis (aortic stenosis graded as ≥+2 equivalent to an orifice area of 1.5cm2 or less).
* Documented presence of moderate to severe aortic insufficiency (echocardio- graphic assessment of aortic insufficiency graded as ≥+2).
* Evidence of a life-threatening arrhythmia (nonsustained ventricular tachycardia ≥20 consecutive beats or complete heart block) or QTc interval \>550 ms on screening ECG. In addition; patients with sustained or a short run of ventricular tachycardia on ECG or 48 hour Ambulatory ECG during the screening period will be removed from the protocol.
* Documented unstable angina.
* AICD firing in the past 60 days prior to the procedure.
* Be eligible for or require coronary artery revascularization.
* Have a hematologic abnormality as evidenced by hematocrit \< 25%, white blood cell \< 2,500/ul or platelet values \< 100,000/ul without another explanation.
* Have liver dysfunction, as evidenced by enzymes (ALT and AST) greater than three times the ULN.
* Have a coagulopathy condition = (INR \> 1.3) not due to a reversible cause.
* Known, serious radiographic contrast allergy.
* Known allergies to penicillin or streptomycin.
* Organ transplant recipient.
* Clinical history of malignancy within 5 years (i.e., patients with prior malignancy must be disease free for 5 years), except curatively-treated basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or cervical carcinoma.
* Non-cardiac condition that limits lifespan to \< 1 year.
* On chronic therapy with immunosuppressant medication.
* Serum positive for HIV, hepatitis BsAg, or hepatitis C.
* Female patient who is pregnant, nursing, or of child-bearing potential and not using effective birth control.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients presenting to the Heart Attack Centre with acute anterior myocardial infarction (ST elevation in at least 2 contiguous anterior leads ≥ 0.2 mV) and treated with acute PCI with stent implantation within 24 hours after symptom onset
* Acute PCI / stent implantation has been successful (residual stenosis visually \< 30% and TIMI flow ≥ 2).
* At the time of inclusion patient no longer requires i.v. catecholamines or mechanical hemodynamic support (aortic balloon pump)
* Significant regional wall motion abnormality in LV angiogram at the time of acute PCI in the LAD territory
* Age 18 - 80 Years (primary angioplasty confers an adverse prognosis in those over the age of 80 years)
* Written informed consent in the recruiting centres native language

Exclusion Criteria:

* Regional wall motion abnormality outside the area involved in the index acute myocardial infarction
* Need to revascularise additional vessels, outside the infarct artery as a planned procedure (these vessels can be treated at baseline)
* Arteriovenous malformations or aneurysms
* Active infection, or fever or diarrhoea within last 4 weeks
* Chronic inflammatory disease
* Known HIV infection or active hepatitis
* Neoplastic disease without documented remission within the past 5 years
* Cerebrovascular insult within 3 months
* Impaired renal function (creatinine \> 200mmol) at the time of cell therapy
* Significant liver disease (GOT \> 2x upper limit) or spontaneous INR \> 1,5)
* Anemia (hemoglobin \< 8.5 mg/dl)
* Platelet count \< 100.000/µl
* Hypersplenism
* Known allergy or intolerance to clopidogrel, heparin or abciximab
* History of bleeding disorder
* Gastrointestinal bleeding within 3 months
* Major surgical procedure or trauma within 2 months
* Uncontrolled hypertension
* Pregnancy
* Mental retardation leading to inability to obtain informed consent
* Previously performed stem / progenitor cell therapy
* Participation in another clinical trial within the last 30 days

Answer: A