Myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic cardiomyopathy
and congestive heart failure (CHF) remain
among the most prominent health challenges
worldwide, despite many breakthroughs
in cardiovascular medicine. Moreover,
despite advances in medical and surgical
treatments, prognosis is poor with a median
survival after onset of only 1.7 years
in men and 3.2 years in women (American
Heart Association, 2002). Currently no
medication or procedure used clinically
has shown efficacy in replacing myocardial
scar with functioning contractile tissue.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) derived from
bone marrow can be cloned and expanded
in vitro about 1 million-fold and retain
the ability to differentiate into several
mesenchymal lineages. When compared with
other cells types considered for cardiomyoplasty,
MSCs appear to possess unique properties
that may allow for convenient and highly
effective cell therapy.
Clinical data has shown that the implantation
of MNCs to MI patients was effective in
promoting therapeutic angiogenesis. Apart
from this, it is evident that co-transplantation
of MSCs and MNCs may result in the enhancement
of both cardiomiogenesis and angiogenesis.
CardioRel®
is an autologous product designed for
early or planned intervention in patients
of MI providing mono-nuclear and mesenchymal
stem cells for cardiac regeneration.
