Myocardial Infarction: Cell Therapy for Cardiac Regeneration

Mortality rate in patients that suffer heart failure is approximately 50 per cent in a 5-year follow up, exceeding the mortality detected in patients with cancer. Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and beta-blockers are effective to treat Myocardial Infarction (MI), but there is no effective therapy to reverse the disease. In the last two decades, cell therapy has emerged as an important treatment to be considered for patients with MI. In the present Review, I will summarize the diversity of cell therapies that have been used in pre-clinical and clinical studies, discussing the pros and cons of each therapy.