STEM CELL THERAPY IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Priyanka Joshi* and Dr. Rajesh Pandey

ABSTRACT

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Of the almost 17 million people who die each year from cardiovascular causes, over 11 million die as a result of cardiac disease and 5.5 million deaths are related to stroke. Myocardial infarction carries a short-term mortality rate of about 7% (with aggressive therapy), and congestive heart failure an even more distressing 20% one-year mortality. Stem cell therapy is an exciting new frontier in the battle against cardiovascular disease that has sparked intense research as well as criticism. In the pursuit of this endeavor, it has become apparent that we need to better understand the processes that lead to both damage and repair if we are to realise the true potential of stem cell therapy. The current evidence suggests that stem cell therapy has great promise for attenuating remodeling and transforming inert scar into biochemically functional myocardium. However, the past decade has shown that translating the potential of stem cell therapy into actual practice is not easy, and many hurdles would need to be overcome before this therapy attains its full potential. Finally, the discovery of various cardiac stem cell populations has renewed interest in the innate regenerative capacity of the human heart.

Keywords: Stem cells, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, heart, therapy.