Editorial The stem cell army in heart failure: do we mobilize or pave the way home?

This editorial refers to ‘Circulation of CD341 progenitor cell populations in patients with idiopathic dilated and ischaemic cardiomyopathy (DCM and ICM)’ † by H.D. Thiess et al., on page 1258 Pharmacological modulation of heart failure, although capable of substantially reducing morbidity and mortality, does not halt the relentless progression of adverse cardiac remodelling and failure. Hence, invoking the body’s own repair mechanisms embodied in its stem cell population present in the myocardium itself or mobilized from the bone marrow is an attractive therapeutic concept to combat heart failure. Pre-clinical studies have shown the promise of this therapy1; however, much work needs to be done to address various questions that arise about bone marrow-derived stem cells in regard to mobilization