Intramyocardial CD34+ cell transplantation combined with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

This report describes a new therapeutic approach for severe ischemic heart disease, intramyocardial transplantation of autologous bone marrow-derived CD34 + cells combined with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). CD34 is widely known as a cell surface antigen expressed on hematopoietic stem cells, and recent experimental studies have shown that CD34 + cells include endothelial progenitor cells. We used the Isolex 300i magnetic cell selection system to separate CD34 + cells from bone marrow cells. This report describes the first case treated with the combination of off-pump CABG and cell transplantation for therapeutic angiogenesis and myocardial regeneration. The transplantation of autologous bone marrow-derived CD34 + cells improved perfusion of the ungraftable ischemic area.