[Italian clinical trials on cardiac cell therapy: where we are and where are we going?]

In the last years translation from bench to bedside of findings regarding cardiac cell therapy is swinging between delays and accelerations. Based on experimental studies, clinical trials were started in 2001. To date in Europe more than 900 patients have been treated with cell transplantation or mobilization and new clinical trials are ongoing in many countries. Published data provide a limited idea of current Italian clinical research in this field. This investigation intends to report Italian clinical trials and projects using cell therapy in cardiology.