Abstract
The successful application of autologous and allogeneic stem cell therapy for heart disease has prompted more recent preclinical, and a few clinical, studies examining the safety and efficacy of combining two different types of stem cells. In virtually all instances, the combination worked better at reducing scar size and/or improving cardiac function than either cell type alone providing impetus for using two cell types together as a novel therapeutic strategy. This success is moving the field closer to combination therapy clinical trials, the first of which will examine a mix of mesenchymal and cardiac stem cells.