Comparative breakthrough: Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells vs bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in heart failure treatment.

Abstract

In this article, we evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) and umbilical cord (UC-MSCs) in the treatment of heart failure and myocardial infarction. MSCs have gained importance as living bio drug due to their regenerative potential, with BM-MSCs being the most extensively studied. However, UC-MSCs offer unique advantages, such as noninvasive collection and fewer ethical concerns. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes data from 13 randomized controlled trials, which included a total of 693 patients. Their study shows that UC-MSCs significantly improved left ventricular ejection fraction by 5.08% at 6 months and 2.78% at 12 months compared with controls, while BM-MSCs showed no significant effect. Neither cell type showed significant changes in 6-minute walk distance. In addition, UC-MSCs and BM-MSCs had comparable safety profiles, with no significant differences in major adverse cardiac events, except for a lower rehospitalization rate observed with BM-MSCs. These results position UC-MSCs as a promising alternative in MSC-based therapies for cardiac disease, offering potential improvements in cardiac function while maintaining a favorable safety profile. Future research should focus on optimizing administration protocols and further exploring the long-term benefits and mechanisms of UC-MSCs in cardiac repair.