الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Stem cells have recently generated a great public and professional interest more than any other topic in biology. The ability of these cells to replace diseased or damaged cells provides cures for number of diseases were considered incurable by normal therapies. Since CVD is primarily caused by endothelial dysfunction, therapeutic angiogenesis/vasculogenesis holds great hope for a potential cure. The logic behind angiogenesis/vasculogenesis is to improve the spontaneous healing process by supplementation of vascular progenitor cells (VPCs) and growth factors. Stem cells can participate in new cardiomyocytes and promote neovascularization either by transdifferentiation or by fusion. Potential sources of stem cells for therapy in cardiovascular diseases include the embryonic stem cell, cells from the bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, adipose tissue derived stem cells, skeletal myoblasts or even cardiac stem cells, each cell type has its own clinical, technical, and ethical considerations. Based on the encouraging results in animal studies, dozens of small pilot clinical trials, and large randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of cell transplantation been conducted in patients with acute MI (AMI),advanced coronary artery disease, and chronic ischaemic cardiomyopathy, using autologous skeletal myoblasts or BM-derived stem/progenitor cells for practical and ethical reasons. Also multipotent stem cells may provide significantly more benefit for patients suffering from severe forms of PVD, e.g. CLI by generating blood vessels as well as replace lost target tissue. They have been tested for their effect on restoring blood supply and/or muscle function in ischemic limbs. However, despite the tremendous therapeutic promise of stem cells research, it has been met with heated opposition specially the human embryonic stem cells research. The harvesting of human embryonic stem cells involves the destruction of human embryo and, in its most controversial form (therapeutic cloning); it requires the creation of human embryo for the sole purpose of providing stem cells.