Regenerative strategies promise to repair or replace damaged myocardium, and Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine sits at the frontier of this ambition. This session examines the scientific rationale for cell-based and tissue-engineering approaches aimed at restoring function after myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, or congenital defects. Participants will review different cell types—mesenchymal stem cells, cardiac progenitors, induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes—and explore how they may contribute to repair through engraftment, paracrine signaling, or modulation of inflammation and fibrosis.

Many clinicians and scientists search for a cardiology conference that frankly addresses both promise and limitations. This session evaluates major clinical trials of regenerative cardiac therapies, noting where results have been modest, mixed, or encouraging. Attendees will learn how trial design, timing of therapy, delivery route, cell dose, and patient selection all influence outcomes. Attention is also given to emerging strategies such as biomaterial scaffolds, 3D-printed patches, and gene editing techniques that aim to enhance cell survival, integration, or endogenous regeneration. Ethical and regulatory considerations are discussed, including oversight of unproven “stem cell clinics.”

A key theme is placing regenerative therapies in context with established treatments. Participants will compare these approaches to revascularization, device therapy, and transplantation, considering where regenerative strategies might eventually complement or, in selected cases, reduce the need for traditional interventions. The session will highlight ongoing trials, inclusion criteria, and how patients can be referred safely to legitimate research programs rather than commercial, unregulated offerings. Practical communication strategies help clinicians address patient questions and manage expectations about what regenerative therapy can and cannot currently deliver.

Future directions include combination therapies, precision medicine approaches to identify “super-responders,” and the use of advanced imaging and biomarkers to track myocardial repair. By the end, attendees will have a balanced, evidence-informed understanding of where cardiac stem cell therapy stands today, how to evaluate new data critically, and how to guide interested patients toward safe participation in well-designed studies.