After patient has a myocardial infarction, muscle cells in the defected area are replaced by fibrotic tissue.
Heart failure progresses.
Since heart dysfunction after myocardial infarction is due to loss of muscle cells, transplantation of muscle cells to replace scar tissue could prevent ventricular dilatation and improve heart function. In 1996, I have published, for the first time, that transplanted muscle cells survived in the myocardial scar tissue, stimulated angiogenesis and improved heart function in small animal model. These results were confirmed using large clinical relevant model in 2000. However, the chronic shortage of donor organs and late sequelae of immunosuppression and rejection still limit the applicability and efficacy of this therapy. We believe that cell transplantation could be a new therapeutic means to prevent ventricular dilatation and improve heart function.