The Effect of Intramyocardial Injection of Mesenchymal Precursor Cells on Myocardial Function in Patients Undergoing LVAD Implantation

Intramyocardial injection of mesenchymal precursor cells (MPC) in patients with advanced heart failure who are treated with left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation may result in a renewable source of proliferating functional cardiomyocytes, as well as induce development of capillaries and larger size blood vessels to supply oxygen and nutrients to endogenous myocardium and newly-implanted cardiomyocytes, and release factors capable of paracrine signaling. If safety is established and an efficacy signal is observed in this exploratory trial, then the investigators will design a follow-up trial (stage 2) based on an adaptive design. The next trial would randomize patients to active therapy at one of two doses (25 and 75 million MPCs) versus placebo, and based on a predetermined selection criterion drop randomization to one of the dose arms as results accrue. Should this exploratory trial demonstrate safety but no signal of efficacy, then the subsequent trial would be based on a single dose of 75 million MPCs versus placebo.