Bone marrow and circulating stem/progenitor cells for regenerative cardiovascular therapy

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the Western world. In addition to the advancement of current therapeutic approaches to reduce the associated morbidity and mortality, regenerative medicine and cell-based therapy have been areas of continuous investigation. Circulating and bone-marrow-derived stem or endothelial progenitor cells are an attractive source for regenerative therapy in the cardiovascular field. In this review, we highlight the advantages and limitations of this approach with a focus on key observations from animal studies and clinical trials.