Cardiologist Joshua M. Hare, director of the stem cell institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (UM), who led the study with colleagues at nine other medical centers, stated, "Stem cell-treated patients had ... significant improvements in heart, lung, and global function. Echocardiography showed improved heart function, particularly in those patients with large amounts of cardiac
damage."
The researchers conducted a study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of injecting a specific form of adult stem cells called “mesenchymal'' to repair and restore heart function in people who have had a heart attack.
A clinical trial of 53 heart patients
The clinical trial involved 53 patients who had suffered an attack within the past 10 days. The patients were randomly injected intravenously with various doses of mesenchymal, while some were administered shots of an inactive placebo.
All the patients were monitored closely for six months.
The researchers then compared the patients who received the stem cells with those who were injected with placebo injections. Both the groups were followed by MRI and echocardiogram.
Outcome of the trial
The researchers found that the patients treated with stem cells fared better. The cells moved to the damaged heart and started the repair process forming new heart cells.
In addition, the trial showed that the stem cell-treated patients were able to pump blood with each heart beat, had lower rates of side effects, such as cardiac arrhythmias, and suffered no toxic effects.
Dr. Alan Heldman, a cardiologist who was part of the project, stated, “The stem cells take part in the growth of new blood vessels to bring more oxygen to the heart. They help modulate the scarring from the heart attack. They fight inflammation. There’s a lot going on.”
Regarding the future prospects, Hare stated, “It’s very exciting to see where this line of research will take us. With each study, we hope to learn more about the possibilities of using adult stem cell therapies to treat cardiac patients."
The study was sponsored by Osiris Therapeutics Inc., and the results of the study are published in the Dec. 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Post new comment