TY - JOUR AU - DiCaro, Michael Vincent AU - Yee, Brianna AU - Lei, KaChon AU - Batra, Kavita AU - Dawn, Buddhadeb PY - 2025 DA - 2025/2/6 TI - Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Acute Myocardial Infarction: Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis JO - JMIR Res Protoc SP - e60591 VL - 14 KW - mesenchymal stem cells KW - mesenchymal stromal cells KW - progenitor cells KW - acute myocardial infarction KW - outcomes KW - stem cell KW - myocardial KW - protocol KW - systematic review KW - meta-analysis KW - medical therapy KW - therapy KW - cardiac KW - efficacy AB - Background: Medical therapy and interventional approaches have improved outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, these strategies are inadequate for replacing cells lost during tissue ischemia, thereby leaving behind noncontractile scar tissue. The anti-inflammatory and immune modulating properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may prove useful in inducing functional cardiac regeneration following acute MI. Objective: This is a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis that will aggregate and synthesize high-level clinical data on the effects of MSC therapy for acute MI. The findings of this study may serve as evidence for clinicians and researchers in guiding the use of MSC therapy as an adjunct to reperfusion and optimal medical therapy in patients with acute MI. Methods: The proposed systematic review is registered with PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews). A systematic search of bibliographical databases, including Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane was conducted from inception to June 2023 to identify English-language human studies with adult patients receiving MSC therapy and optimal medical therapy for acute MI in comparison with respective controls. Article screening was performed using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Data on functional cardiac outcomes and major adverse cardiac events were extracted and analyzed as primary outcomes. Results: Literature search and article screening commenced in June 2023. Data extraction and analysis will be completed by October 2024. The findings will be synthesized and reported by the end of November 2024. Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis will summarize the best available updated evidence from published randomized controlled trials on the effects of MSC therapy for the treatment of acute MI. The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis may shed light on the efficacy of MSC therapy in improving cardiac functional and structural parameters and reducing adverse cardiac events following acute MI. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42024522398; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=522398 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/60591 SN - 1929-0748 UR - https://www.researchprotocols.org/2025/1/e60591 UR - https://doi.org/10.2196/60591 DO - 10.2196/60591 ID - info:doi/10.2196/60591 ER -