Bone Marrow Cell Transfer After STEMI: Mixed Results

Contradictory findings from two trials remind us that this area of clinical research is still in its early stages.

Can intracoronary infusion of bone marrow cells (BMCs) after ST-segment-elevation MI (STEMI) help to regenerate infarcted myocardium and stimulate neovascularization? Two randomized controlled trials addressed this question.

The Reinfusion of Enriched Progenitor Cells and Infarct Remodeling in Acute Myocardial Infarction (REPAIR-AMI) trial involved 204 STEMI patients (mean age, 56; 82% men) who achieved successful reperfusion with stent implantation but who still had left-ventricular ejection fractions (LVEFs) ≤45%. Three to 7 days later subjects received, in randomized fashion, intracoronary infusion of BMCs or placebo. By 4 months, mean LVEF had improved significantly more with BMC transfer than with placebo (absolute change, 5.5% vs. 3.0%…

Reviewing Author

Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM