Excerpt

Therapies with stem cells have been proposed as a solution for decreased systolic capacity after cardiomyocyte death and/or to prevent cell death after an ischemic event. New host cell formation, activation of tissue progenitor cells, secretion of angiogenic and/or survival signals are some of the mechanisms that may explain the benefits of cell transplantation. Cell administration has been done by either intramyocardial or intracoronary route, implying that patients or animals are subject to surgery or to invasive hemodynamic procedure. The possibility of using growth factors capable of mobilizing stem cells to the circulation and induce their homing to the infarcted heart has therefore great therapeutic appeal since it would avoid invasive procedures. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) appears to be the major potential candidate because it has been used for many decades in patients with hematopoietic disorders without any serious adverse side effects and is known to mobilize hematopoietic [1], endothelial [2] and mesenchymal [3] precursor cells from bone marrow. …