Researchers highlight the manufacturing challenges that impede cell therapies for heart attack and propose 'cell-free' approaches using proteins and secretomes as easier-to-make alternatives. David Lundy, PhD, from Taipei Medical University, emphasizes that cell-free treatments—such as extracellular vesicles, biomaterials scaffolds, and synthetic nanocarriers—demonstrate promising preclinical efficacy with simpler scalable production compared to cell-based therapies. These advances may facilitate new heart attack treatments addressing scar tissue without the complexities of cell sourcing and culture.