Abstract
The rising prevalence of cardiovascular disease and the limited treatment options necessitate new therapeutic approaches to stimulate cardiac repair. Stem cell administration has emerged as a novel treatment for cardiovascular disease and over the last two decades has been successfully translated from in vitro and preclinical studies to clinical trials. A variety of cell types have been administered in clinical trials to treat heart disease, with some demonstrating promising results to repair the damaged heart. However, their efficacy remains controversial and defining the ideal cell type, cell dose, route and timing of delivery and ideal patient population, remains a challenge. Here, we discuss lessons learned from previous clinical trials and propose future directions of cell-based therapy for cardiac disease.