Nine-year follow-up of local implantation of autologous skeletal myoblasts in a patient with coronary heart disease

PATIENT gender - Male, age - 63 year-old. PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS Acute myocardial infarction. CO-EXISTING DISEASES Hypertension. MEDICATION Aspirin • beta-blocker • captopril. CLINICAL PROCEDURE CABG • autologous skeletal myoblast transplantation • PCI. SPECIALTY Cardiology. OBJECTIVE Unusual or unexpected effect of treatment. BACKGROUND Cell transplantation has been viewed as a promising strategy for end-stage heart failure, but long-term follow-up results are lacking. CASE REPORT In December 2002 we began transplanting autologous skeletal myoblasts in one patient because of serious coronary heart disease. Here, we present the 9-year follow-up results of this patient. No ventricular tachyarrhythmias were detected after treatment. The patient had another myocardial infarction in April 2012 and was treated successful with PCI. CONCLUSIONS Autologous skeletal myoblast transplantation with bypass surgery is associated with improvement in cardiac function and lack of adverse effects in long-term follow-up, making it a promising therapy for patients with heart failure.