Cell Therapy

Intracoronary therapy using autologous bone-marrow derived  cells (BMCs) has been shown to moderately improve left ventricular function in patients with acute myocardial infarction and chronic heart failure. One of the key factors influencing the efficacy of the application is certainly the heterogeneity of the cell products which varies depending on the genetic determinants and risk factors of the individual patients. Focus of this project is the establishment of fast and easy-to-perform in vitro methods to analyze the functionality of BMCs already before the re-application in the patient. Identification of factors determining the functionality of the applied cellular product might also enable ex-vivo modification by drugs or small molecules in order to further enhance the efficacy of cell therapy in patients with cardiovascular diseases.