Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Recovery: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide, resulting from ischemic damage and necrosis to cardiomyocytes. While the standard treatment regimen for MI can be successful in restoring coronary perfusion, it typically does not resolve myocardial damage, which can leave patient...

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Main Authors: Nicholas T. Le, Matthew W. Dunleavy, William Zhou, Sumrithbir S. Bhatia, Rebecca D. Kumar, Suyin T. Woo, Gonzalo Ramirez-Pulido, Kaushik S. Ramakrishnan, Ahmed H. El-Hashash
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Biomedicines
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/5/1209
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author Nicholas T. Le
Matthew W. Dunleavy
William Zhou
Sumrithbir S. Bhatia
Rebecca D. Kumar
Suyin T. Woo
Gonzalo Ramirez-Pulido
Kaushik S. Ramakrishnan
Ahmed H. El-Hashash
author_facet Nicholas T. Le
Matthew W. Dunleavy
William Zhou
Sumrithbir S. Bhatia
Rebecca D. Kumar
Suyin T. Woo
Gonzalo Ramirez-Pulido
Kaushik S. Ramakrishnan
Ahmed H. El-Hashash
author_sort Nicholas T. Le
collection DOAJ
description Myocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide, resulting from ischemic damage and necrosis to cardiomyocytes. While the standard treatment regimen for MI can be successful in restoring coronary perfusion, it typically does not resolve myocardial damage, which can leave patients particularly vulnerable to complications such as heart failure or electrical conduction abnormalities. Stem cell therapies offer a promising novel approach aimed at restoring cardiac function and decreasing the incidence of functional complications after an MI. This review used a literature search to evaluate the current landscape of stem cell therapy for post-MI recovery and focuses on the stem cell candidates for MI recovery therapy, delivery methods of such treatment, and their effectiveness. Both preclinical and clinical trials have demonstrated the safety of stem cells, but have struggled with limited cell retention, inconsistent efficacy, and survival. Mechanisms are employed by stem cells to promote regeneration, such as paracrine signaling, angiogenesis, and structural remodeling, in addition to the various stem cell delivery methods, including intracoronary infusion, direct myocardial injection, and intravenous administration. Furthermore, some strategies to combat past challenges in this field are discussed; for instance, extracellular vesicles, bioengineered patches, hydrogels, gene editing, and bioprinting. This article will provide a framework for future research in stem cell therapies and highlight the current progress in the field.
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spelling doaj-art-6ea412f1de7b4e97aec4091ffc10aace2025-08-20T03:47:48ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592025-05-01135120910.3390/biomedicines13051209Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Recovery: Advances, Challenges, and Future DirectionsNicholas T. Le0Matthew W. Dunleavy1William Zhou2Sumrithbir S. Bhatia3Rebecca D. Kumar4Suyin T. Woo5Gonzalo Ramirez-Pulido6Kaushik S. Ramakrishnan7Ahmed H. El-Hashash8Department of Biology, College Station Campus, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USADepartment of Biology, College Station Campus, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USADepartment of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USADepartment of Biology, College Station Campus, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USADepartment of Biology, College Station Campus, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USADepartment of Biology, College Station Campus, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USADepartment of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77004, USADepartment of Biology, College Station Campus, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USADepartment of Biology, Elizabeth City State University Campus of the University of North Carolina, Elizabeth City, NC 27909, USAMyocardial infarction (MI) is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide, resulting from ischemic damage and necrosis to cardiomyocytes. While the standard treatment regimen for MI can be successful in restoring coronary perfusion, it typically does not resolve myocardial damage, which can leave patients particularly vulnerable to complications such as heart failure or electrical conduction abnormalities. Stem cell therapies offer a promising novel approach aimed at restoring cardiac function and decreasing the incidence of functional complications after an MI. This review used a literature search to evaluate the current landscape of stem cell therapy for post-MI recovery and focuses on the stem cell candidates for MI recovery therapy, delivery methods of such treatment, and their effectiveness. Both preclinical and clinical trials have demonstrated the safety of stem cells, but have struggled with limited cell retention, inconsistent efficacy, and survival. Mechanisms are employed by stem cells to promote regeneration, such as paracrine signaling, angiogenesis, and structural remodeling, in addition to the various stem cell delivery methods, including intracoronary infusion, direct myocardial injection, and intravenous administration. Furthermore, some strategies to combat past challenges in this field are discussed; for instance, extracellular vesicles, bioengineered patches, hydrogels, gene editing, and bioprinting. This article will provide a framework for future research in stem cell therapies and highlight the current progress in the field.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/5/1209myocardial infarctionstem cell therapycardiac regenerationregenerative medicinecell-based therapytissue engineering
spellingShingle Nicholas T. Le
Matthew W. Dunleavy
William Zhou
Sumrithbir S. Bhatia
Rebecca D. Kumar
Suyin T. Woo
Gonzalo Ramirez-Pulido
Kaushik S. Ramakrishnan
Ahmed H. El-Hashash
Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Recovery: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
Biomedicines
myocardial infarction
stem cell therapy
cardiac regeneration
regenerative medicine
cell-based therapy
tissue engineering
title Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Recovery: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
title_full Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Recovery: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
title_fullStr Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Recovery: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
title_full_unstemmed Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Recovery: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
title_short Stem Cell Therapy for Myocardial Infarction Recovery: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
title_sort stem cell therapy for myocardial infarction recovery advances challenges and future directions
topic myocardial infarction
stem cell therapy
cardiac regeneration
regenerative medicine
cell-based therapy
tissue engineering
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/5/1209
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