Purpose of review: Significant recent developments have occurred in the field of cardiac regeneration and stem-cell therapy. Understanding the new technological advances in cell therapy will ultimate allow us to achieve a goal of cell-based cardiac repair.
Recent findings: We discuss the latest cell-based therapies (including skeletal myoblasts, bone-marrow-derived cells, stem cells), the recent clinical trials in humans and different delivery techniques.
Summary: Ongoing unraveling of the mechanistic and clinical complexities underlying cardiac regeneration will advance the field of regenerative medicine. Substantial progress is being made by the parallel conduct of basic science studies and clinical trials that are incorporating mechanistic evaluations.