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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2005;28:909-910
© 2005 Elsevier Science NL
Letters to the Editor |
a University Hospital Freiburg, Department for Cardiovascular Surgery, Hugstetter Str. 55, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany
b Department for Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital E.G. Pompidou, Paris, France
Received 30 August 2005; accepted 31 August 2005.
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 761 270 2818; fax: +49 761 270 2550. (Email: matthias.siepe{at}web.de).
Key Words: Cell transplantation Bone marrow-derived stem cells Skeletal myoblast Clinical trials
We appreciate Dr Mishra's comments [1] and fully agree with his conclusions. Indeed, from the time the initial results with skeletal myoblast transplantation were reported, we have always been concerned to be very cautious about data interpretation and have repeatedly stressed that many issues, most of which are appropriately listed by Dr Mishra, remained to be addressed and that only randomized controlled studies would allow to generate clinically meaningful conclusions. Some advocates of bone marrow stem cell transplantation have occasionally been more aggressive by claiming that these cells featured a true regeneration potential [2]. Now, it is increasingly recognized that many of these statements were often based on weak methodologies and that it is, just as for myoblasts or other cell types, premature to draw definite conclusions pertaining to the ability of cell therapy to rebuild new myocardium under clinically relevant conditions [3]. The review we have just published [4] intended primarily to update practising surgeons with respect to a rapidly evolving field of research and certainly not to provide naively overenthusiastic claims which remain premature and inappropriate as long as the current reverse "bedside to bench" move has not generated more robust basic data about the benefits, optimal modalities of use and limitations of cell therapy.
References
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