Adult Stem Cell Tests Look Promising For Heart Disease
Clinical tests on persons with severe heart disease have shown that when their own stem cells were injected back into their hearts, their heart disease showed marked improvement. These heart patients regained some of the mobility they had lost as a result of their heart disease and saw a reversal of some of their symptoms.
The tests were conducted by researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago and worked with Baxter International, which developed a special stem-cell extraction device. The device extracts stem cells from the patients’ bone marrow and purifies them for re-introduction into the donors’ hearts.A test and control group was set up for the 167 mostly male test patients. All of the men suffered from medium to severe heart disease.The just completed test was Phase Two of a three-part series and many of the heart patients have already experienced reduced angina and increased mobility.Some of the patients had already had open-heart surgery or angioplasty. Some had been home bound and after they took the stem cell treatments, they were able to resume some normal activities like walking up stairs or shopping for groceries.
It’s not surprising that these results have created much excitement in stem cell research and cardiovascular medical circles. They were presented to the American Heart Association at their scientific conference in Orlando, Florida, this past fall. The third and last phase is needed to apply to the FDA for approval, but its start date has not yet been announced. The final stage of such tests usually involve a larger sample than was the case in the Phase II trials.
This is one of several health areas where adult stem cells taken from the patients themselves and then re-introduced into the patients in the diseased areas of their bodies have produced positive results. One area with similar results is cancer, particularly lymphatic cancer.There has also been some remarkable improvement in persons suffering from spinal cord injuries.
Tags: adult, angina, bone, cancer, cells, clinical, cord, disease, heart, lymphatic, marrow, patients, severe, spinal, stem, tests, treatments
