Dr. Quyyumi will be discussing his Amorcyte Myocardial Repair study, a Phase I clinical trial in which CD34+ bone-marrow-derived autologous cells are injected into the heart to treat acute myocardial infarctions. Heart attacks, which affect more than 1 million Americans a year, can cause congenital heart failure, where the heart muscle is damaged and can no longer effectively pump blood to the rest of the body. Endothelial protenitor cells, or EPCs, are cells that have been shown to aid in new blood vessel formation after injury. This study looks into the effect of treating damaged heart tissue with EPCs, with the hopes that these cells facilitate development of new blood vessels that may aid in repair of the heart muscle.