Stem Cells For Heart Disease

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study shows injecting stem cells directly into heart muscle can effectively and safely treat end-stage heart failure.

Researchers from Texas and Brazil tested 21 patients who suffered with severe heart failure. Fourteen of the patients received an average of 15 injections, containing about 2 million stem cells each. The other seven patients served as a control group. Both groups received the same medical care and monitoring.

After two months, the treated patients showed significantly less heart failure and pumped more blood to the body than the untreated patients. The treated group also performed better on treadmill tests. Four months after the test, the treated patients continued to show improvement.

Researchers aren’t sure why the improvement occurred. James T. Willerson, M.D., from the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, says, “Either these stem cells became new blood vessels and new heart muscle cells, or their presence stimulated the development of one or both.”

Dr. Willerson and colleagues began investigating the use of stem cells as a treatment for heart failure about eight years ago. Stem cells are cells that are at an early stage of development and can transform into specific types of cells, such as heart muscle. Once these cells mature into heart muscle, they work to replace the cells that have failed.

Heart failure is the inability of damaged heart muscle to pump enough blood to satisfy the body. About 550,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year in the United States. In 2000, the disease caused more than 51,000 deaths.

Dr. Willerson says a larger study is needed to accurately identify the risks and benefits of stem cell therapy.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: To be published in an upcoming issue of Circulation