STRATEGIES FOR MYOCARDIAL REPAIR

The therapeutic recourse for end-stage heart disease is currently limi ted to cardiac transplantation. The ability to augment cardiomyocyte n umber in ali end-stage heart might facilitate myocardial function. Aug mentation of cardiomyocyte number may be achievable by the targeted ex pression of cell cycle regulatory genes to the myocardium. Alternative ly, intracardiac grafting of exogenous cardiomyocytes might also provi de a viable approach to augment cardiomyocyte number. Potential strate gies for heart muscle regeneration via gene therapy and cellular trans plantation are discussed.