Almanac 2012, cell therapy in cardiovascular disease: The national society journals present selected research that has driven recent advances in clinical cardiology

The rapid translation from bench to bedside that has been seen in the application of regenerative medicine to cardiology has led to exciting new advances in our understanding of some of the fundamental mechanisms related to human biology. The first generation of cells used in phase I–II trials (mainly bone marrow mononuclear cells) are now entering phase III clinical trials with the goal of producing a cell based therapeutics that can change the outcome of cardiac disease. First generation cell therapy appears to have addressed safety concerns as well as showing ‘activity’ in numerous published meta-analyses. With the knowledge gained to date, the field is moving towards the next generation of cells—the ‘engineered’ cell—that has been developed to display a phenotype that will further enhance the myocardial repair/salvage process. This almanac review covers the latest basic research that may soon have application to humans as well as the results of the latest clinical trials.