Stem Cell Therapy in Chronic Ischemic Heart Failure

Despite standard therapies (revascularization and drugs), patients with severe ischemic heart failure have a high morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study is to determine whether intracoronary transfer of autologous bone marrow cells can induce angiogenesis, subsequently improving regional myocardial perfusion, and finally resulting in improved systolic and diastolic left ventricular function in patients with severe ischemic heart failure. 35 patients with stable left ventricle function will - with four months interval - receive two treatments with bone marrow transplantation intracoronary in vessels supplying dysfunctional myocardial territories. Echocardiography is performed three times prior (four and two months and just before) and two times after (four and eight months after) therapy. It is a non-randomised trial, patients will enter as their own control.