Table 1.

Advantages and limitations of routes of delivery.

Delivery method	Advantages	Limitations
Intracoronary artery infusion	Direct infusion infarct-related coronary artery cell engraftment homogenously at infarct borders	Not applicable to occluded artery. Possible micro embolism during infusion
Surgical intramyocardial injection	Smaller number of cells required direct inspection	Increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Potential induction of arrhythmia. Need for a surgical approach
Transendocardial injection	Cell delivery in occluded areas	The risk of myocardial perforation. Cardiac tamponade and ventricular arrhythmia
Transvenous infusion	Non-invasive Simple delivery	Possible micro embolism Low cellular migration and differentiation. Homing to non-cardiac organs

Adapted from Ref. (50).