Bone Marrow Derived Adult Stem Cells for Acute Anterior Myocardial Infarction (REGEN-AMI)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients presenting to the Heart Attack Centre with acute anterior myocardial infarction (ST elevation in at least 2 contiguous anterior leads ≥ 0.2 mV) and treated with acute PCI with stent implantation within 24 hours after symptom onset
• Acute PCI / stent implantation has been successful (residual stenosis visually < 30% and TIMI flow ≥ 2).
• At the time of inclusion patient no longer requires i.v. catecholamines or mechanical hemodynamic support (aortic balloon pump)
• Significant regional wall motion abnormality in LV angiogram at the time of acute PCI in the LAD territory
• Age 18 - 80 Years (primary angioplasty confers an adverse prognosis in those over the age of 80 years)
• Written informed consent in the recruiting centres native language

Exclusion Criteria:

• Regional wall motion abnormality outside the area involved in the index acute myocardial infarction
• Need to revascularise additional vessels, outside the infarct artery as a planned procedure (these vessels can be treated at baseline)
• Arteriovenous malformations or aneurysms
• Active infection, or fever or diarrhoea within last 4 weeks
• Chronic inflammatory disease
• Known HIV infection or active hepatitis
• Neoplastic disease without documented remission within the past 5 years
• Cerebrovascular insult within 3 months
• Impaired renal function (creatinine > 200mmol) at the time of cell therapy
• Significant liver disease (GOT > 2x upper limit) or spontaneous INR > 1,5)
• Anemia (hemoglobin < 8.5 mg/dl)
• Platelet count < 100.000/µl
• Hypersplenism
• Known allergy or intolerance to clopidogrel, heparin or abciximab
• History of bleeding disorder
• Gastrointestinal bleeding within 3 months
• Major surgical procedure or trauma within 2 months
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Pregnancy
• Mental retardation leading to inability to obtain informed consent
• Previously performed stem / progenitor cell therapy
• Participation in another clinical trial within the last 30 days