The search for alternative treatments for congestive heart failure remains an ongoing venture. Exciting research over the last 2 years has changed the long held dogma that the heart cannot regenerate itself. The work of many groups can be summarized by the following concept: increasing the number of CD117+ (c-kit+) stem cells in cardiac tissue or in the coronary circulation within 2 days of a myocardial infarction results in regeneration of myocardial tissue and improved cardiac function.

Animal studies by Orlic, Anversa and colleagues have demonstrated that either the direct injection of bone marrow-derived CD117+ stem cells in the infarct border ... Read more