Are Endothelial Progenitor Cells the Real Solution for Cardiovascular Diseases? Focus on Controversies and Perspectives

Table 4

Methods and ways for the administration of EPCs cells.

First strategy: intravenous administration	BM-MSCs are transfused into the left ventricular cavity. Stem cells mainly reach the lungs, with significantly smaller amounts in the liver, heart, and spleen.	[52]
Second strategy: intracoronary infusion	Patients are infused with BM-progenitor cells using a balloon catheter after restoration of arterial patency	[53–55]
Third strategy: Transepicardial administration	Direct transepicardial injection of BMSCs can be performed, using a surgical thoracotomy into the border zone of the infarct	[59]
Third strategy: transendocardial administration	Catheter-based transendocardial injection of SCs using electromechanical voltage mapping to define tissue viability	[59]