Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesRandomised controlled trial

Intramyocardial injection of allogeneic human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in advanced ischemic heart failure: an early-stage randomized trial

Nat MedPublished

  • Randomised controlled trial
  • early-stage

Study context

Population
Advanced HFrEF (LVEF ≤45%) undergoing CABG18 male, 2 female
Participants
20 participants
Comparison
Intramyocardial hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes + CABG vs CABG alone
  • Cell therapyn = 10
Primary endpoint
Safety: sustained VT during 1–6 months postoperatively and tumorigenicity at 12 months
Follow-up
1- to 6-month postoperative period; 12 months

Primary result

As reported in the abstract

Sustained VT and tumorigenicity
  • Neither sustained VT nor tumorigenicity observed in either group

Secondary outcomes

6-min walk distance, global myocardial perfusion (summed rest score, 99mTc SPECT-CT), relative wall thickening

Significantly greater improvements with cell transplantation vs CABG alone

LVEF, LV volumes, myocardial scar size, NYHA class, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire · 12 months

No significant between-group differences

Safety

OutcomeCell therapyCoronary artery bypass grafting alone
Accelerated idioventricular rhythm (first 4 weeks) · typically 5 to 7 days post-transplantation10 eventsNot reported in the abstract
  • Accelerated idioventricular rhythm (first 4 weeks): all 10 patients in the cell therapy group

Clinically significant VT (>140 bpm) · peaked at 2 to 3 weeks post-procedure

Occurred in 2 patients; resolved completely after cardioversion

Original publication

Intramyocardial injection of allogeneic human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in advanced ischemic heart failure: an early-stage randomized trial. Nat Med. Published 19 August 2026. doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04605-1

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it