EDITORIAL Regenerative heart failure therapy headed for optimization

This editorial refers to ‘Autologous CD1331 bone marrow cells and bypass grafting for regeneration of ischaemic myocardium: the Cardio133 Trial’†, by B.A. Nasseri et al., on page 1263 The heart failure epidemic, accelerated by global ageing, is a rampant contributor toworldwidemorbidity andmortality, underscoring the escalating burden of non-communicable diseases. In the context of a growing prevalence in ischaemic heart disease, advances in the acute management ofmyocardial infarctionwith rapid percutaneous revas-cularizationhave reducedprematuredeathbut have resulted in a high incidence of chronic heart failure overloading healthcare systems.1 The malignant nature of the disease associated with poor outcomes reflects a shortcoming of current therapies, largely ineffective against infarction-triggered tissue destruction. Established therapies target afterload reduction and mineralocorticoid dysregulation to limi