Bone marrow stem cells for chest pain that won't go away

Plain-English translation of NCT05711849 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated January 2026 · Translation generated July 2026 · How we translate trials

Phase 2 — Testing in a bigger group (up to a few hundred people) to see if the treatment actually works and is still safe.

What is this trial?

REGENERATE-COBRA is testing whether autologous bone marrow cells — cells taken from your own bone marrow and processed in a lab — can reduce chest pain in people whose angina hasn't improved despite taking multiple heart medicines. Half of the participants will receive the real stem cell treatment injected into their coronary arteries, while half will receive a sham (fake) procedure that looks and feels the same. All participants will be blindfolded during their procedures so they don't know which group they're in.

Some people have severe chest pain that doesn't get better even with the strongest available medicines and aren't candidates for surgery or angioplasty. This trial is exploring whether stem cells from the patient's own bone marrow can help restore blood flow and reduce pain in these cases.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are over 18 years old
you have had severe chest pain (rated as Grade III or IV) for at least 90 days despite taking the maximum tolerated doses of heart medications
you have tried at least two different classes of anti-anginal medicines and your medications have been stable for more than 2 months
you are not a good candidate for heart surgery or angioplasty, or these procedures have already been attempted without success
your heart's pumping ability (ejection fraction) is at least 30%, measured within the past 12 months
you can exercise for between 2 and 8 minutes on a treadmill test

You likely don't qualify if…

you have had a heart attack within the past 30 days
you have had heart surgery or angioplasty within the past 6 months
you have serious heart failure or were hospitalized for heart failure in the past 90 days
you have severe lung disease or untreated conditions like high blood pressure, severe anemia, or thyroid disease
you have dangerous heart rhythm problems or would need a pacemaker or defibrillator in the future

What participation looks like

If you're selected, you'll have a bone marrow aspiration procedure (where cells are collected from your hip bone) and then a single infusion of cells into your heart arteries — or a sham version of both procedures if you're in the control group. You'll be blindfolded and wear noise-cancelling headphones so you don't know which group you're in. After the procedure, you'll have a phone call at 1 month, a clinic visit at 6 months, and another phone call at 12 months to track how your chest pain has changed.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jul 7, 2026 · Not medical advice

Bone marrow stem cells for chest pain that won't go away

What is this trial?

Do you qualify?

What participation looks like

Trial locations(1 site)