Heart Attacks –
Patients that suffered from Heart Attack Damage used Stem Cells to
Repair the Heart Muscle
April 23rd, 2006
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Rush University |
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A recent study
transplanted stem cells to see if the heart muscle would regenerate
after a patient had a heart attack. The researchers delivered the adult
mesenchymal stem cells that came from a healthy bone marrow donor by
intravenous infusion.
This simple
approach of using a standard IV line makes it less invasive than other
methods of delivering stem cells. Other procedures of delivering stem
cells involved open surgical procedures through catheterization.
"A person who has
had a single, severe heart attack may survive but can be left with
substantial damage to the heart muscle as a result of the blood supply
to the heart muscle being cut off during the heart attack. The damaged
muscle inhibits the heart's overall ability to pump blood, leading to
heart failure," said Rush principal investigator cardiologist Dr. Gary
Schaer, head of the Rush Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Rush is the
only center in Illinois participating in the trial. There are 15 other
sites nationwide participating in the study.
Schaer describes
the mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) as having the opportunity for the cells
to help develop mature heart cells and new blood vessels in the heart.
The donor MSC cells come from healthy adults that volunteer to donate
bone marrow. They do not come from fetus, embryo or animal stem cells.
There is not
enough knowledge from this type of transplant if there is immune
response that could possibly happen. This study is in its early stages
and so far they believe it does not cause an allergic response from this
type of MSC stem cell transplant. They MSC stem cells are similar to
Blood Type O and they are using the stem cells without tissue type
matching in the patient receiving the IV.
Schaer also said
that one donor can create treatments for thousands of patients. The MSC
stem cells are grown in a culture to high numbers. One donation of stem
cells can potentially grown billions MSCs. The scientists can also
freeze the cells for years at a time and can revive them when they are
needed for an implant.
The MSC stem cells
seek out the heart if damage has occurred to help in the repair after a
heart attack has occurred. When the researchers tested the MSC stem
cells on animals that did not have a heart attack, the cells were
reabsorbed back into the bone marrow. The MSC stem cells seek out were
inflammatory signals were given out in the body and will help aid in the
repair of these damaged sites.
Nicole Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on Heart Disease
Keywords and misspellings:
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