Cardiac resurrection after bone-marrow-derived mononuclear cell transplantation during left ventricular assist device support.

We describe a novel therapy of mononuclear cell transplantation combined with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for severe ischemic heart failure. Significant myocardial recovery by the LVAD rarely occurs in the severely failing heart. We undertook successful mononuclear cell transplantation in a patient who sustained an acute myocardial infarction that had resulted in the LVAD therapy. The heart regained good function after cell transplantation, and the LVAD was explanted 6 weeks later. These results suggest that this novel therapy could be an alternative to cardiac transplantation for severe ischemic heart failure.