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Intramyocardial injection of skeletal myoblasts: long-term follow-up with pressure–volume loops

Nature Clinical Practice Cardiovascular Medicine volume 3, pages S94–S100 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

The human heart has a limited capacity for self-repair because, unlike most other cells, cardiomyocytes do not regenerate. Therefore, if a substantial number of myocytes is lost after a myocardial infarction, the performance of the heart may become severely limited, leading to a condition of heart failure. Recently, cell transplantation has emerged as a potential therapy for patients with end-stage heart failure. Of the various cell types being investigated for this purpose, skeletal myoblasts are an attractive option, because they are readily available from muscle biopsies and, if autologous cells are used, immunosuppression is not required and ethical issues are avoided. Several studies have shown that the cells can survive and differentiate after transplantation, and promising clinical results have been reported. However, effects of this therapy on left ventricular function remain largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the long-term hemodynamic effects of intramyocardial injection of autologous skeletal myoblasts in patients with ischemic heart failure. Our findings indicate hemodynamic improvement after follow-up for up to 1 year, which is especially promising in view of the expected decline in left ventricular function in these patients.

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Figure 1: Steady-state pressure–volume loops (A), end-systolic pressure–volume relationship (ESPVR) and end-diastolic pressure–volume relationship (EDPVR) (B), for each patient

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by Bioheart Inc., Weston, FL, USA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Associate Professor of Cardiac Physiology and Head of the Cardiac Physiology Lab in the Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Paul Steendijk

  2. a Cardiologist in the Department of Cardiology, Medical Center Rijnmond Zuid, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Pieter C Smits

  3. a Cardiologist, Department of Interventional Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Marco Valgimigli

  4. Professor of Cardiology and Pathophysiology of Acute Coronary Syndromes, Department of Interventional Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Willem J van der Giessen

  5. a Medical Technician, Department of Interventional Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Emile EM Onderwater

  6. a Professor of Cardiology and Director of the Department of Interventional Cardiology, Thorax Center, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Patrick W Serruys

Authors
  1. Paul Steendijk
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  2. Pieter C Smits
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  3. Marco Valgimigli
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  4. Willem J van der Giessen
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  5. Emile EM Onderwater
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  6. Patrick W Serruys
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Correspondence to Paul Steendijk.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Steendijk, P., Smits, P., Valgimigli, M. et al. Intramyocardial injection of skeletal myoblasts: long-term follow-up with pressure–volume loops. Nat Rev Cardiol 3 (Suppl 1), S94–S100 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpcardio0416

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