A regenerative strategy for heart failure in hypoplastic left heart syndrome: intracoronary administration of autologous bone marrow-derived progenitor cells.

Novel surgical strategies have dramatically improved the initial outcome of newborns with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. However, the single systemic right ventricle remains a major challenge, with limited effectiveness of pharmacologic therapy. The present case documents that the intracoronary administration of autologous bone marrow-derived progenitor cells is technically feasible in a critically ill infant with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and severe heart failure after a hybrid comprehensive stage II procedure. Cell therapy might represent an option before heart transplantation in children with single ventricle physiology presenting with severe heart failure. Copyright (c) 2010 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.