This is a very exciting field in cardiology, working on the repair and regeneration of damaged heart tissues with a focus on myocardial infarction, as the heart is not known to repair damaged muscle, usually irreversibly scarred. This is aimed to overcome this limitation by introducing cells that could replace lost or damaged cardiac tissue and stimulate repair processes within the heart.

Currently, a wide variety of stem cells is under investigation and already in use in cardiology studies. These include embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs, and also mesenchymal stem cells. While two of these types of cells, namely embryonic stem cells and iPSCs, can differentiate to form any cell type (in this case, any kind of cardiomyocytes) and thus represent the property of pluripotency, iPSCs show advantages because they may eventually be retrieved from a body of an individual avoiding eventual immune rejection upon being used. In comparison, mesenchymal stem cells are also often isolated from the bone marrow or fat tissue and are very extensively studied for their capacity to exhibit anti-inflammatory action and reparative properties with limited potential to become a cardiomyocyte.

Promising preclinical and early clinical studies of stem cell research in cardiology demonstrated that these cells have the potential to enhance heart function. They stimulate the angiogenesis-formation of new blood vessels, reduce scar tissue formation, and increase the survival rate of the existing cells inside the heart. Delivery systems such as injecting stem cells directly into the area that is damaged or simply applying stem cell-derived patches onto the heart surface can be explored for optimized delivery and efficacy of therapy.

The cell-based therapies do come with some problems, however- cell survival, proper integration, and the lack of arrhythmias- yet they may revolutionize treatment for heart diseases as one may regenerate the damaged tissue. Future research is centered on refining these methods and pushing forward clinical trials to lead regenerative cardiology becoming a practical, transformative alternative to treat heart disease patients.