SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Heart researchers are excited about a new study that shows that patients’ own stem cells can be supercharged to fix damage. In the University of Utah study, there was a 37 percent reduction in the number of times heart failure patients went to the hospital or died. Researchers say that has never happened before.
Utah Senator Ralph Okerlund did his work in the Capitol despite two heart attacks and congestive heart failure. But he didn’t feel well.
Okerlund told Ivanhoe, “If I walked from my house out to the mailbox across the street, I’d have to stop a couple of times on the way.”
Amit Patel, MD, MS, the Director of Clinical Regenerative Medicine at the University of Utah put the senator in the IX Cell DCM Cell Therapy.
“We basically took the certain cells that were still alive and put them in a healthy environment and basically had their own body start healing the heart,” described Dr. Patel.
Dr. Patel took three tablespoons of bone marrow from patients, and put them in a bioreactor for twelve days to supercharge them.
“So all the young stem cells grew up and all the old weaker cells that had the effects of aging, diabetes and all that died off,” continued Dr. Patel.
Then he injected 100 to 200 million healthy stem cells into patients’ hearts after mapping out damaged areas. The supercharged cells triggered an immune function to help the heart heal itself. Half the 114 patients in the study got the therapy. Senator Okerlund knew he was one after a few months.
“I still am not out running races. I won’t be running any marathons with the damage that has been done to my heart, but I feel well enough now that I can kind of do what I want as long as I move slowly,” said Okerlund.
He’s excited to have been part of the study and hopes it helps many other people.
The patients who got the placebo in Dr. Patel’s current study can now get the treatment because it worked. Dr. Patel said a much larger study needs to be done to prove the cell therapy works before it’s available to the general public.
Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Supervising; Wendy Chioji, Field Producer; Milvionne Chery, Assistant Producer; Tony D’Astoli, Editor; Jason Ball, Videographer.
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGHS
RESEARCH SUMMARY
TOPIC: Stem Cell Therapy: Supercharge the Heart
REPORT: MB #4143
BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a condition in which the heart does not function as well as it should. When your heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs, although it does not mean your heart has stopped working, it is considered congestive heart failure. The weakening of the heart’s pumping ability causes:
- Blood and fluid to back up into the lungs
- The buildup of fluid in the feet, ankles and legs, called edema
- Tiredness and shortness of breath
Common causes of heart failure are coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It is common in those who are over 65 years or older and people who are overweight.
(Source: https://medlineplus.gov/heartfailure.html)
TREATMENT: Treatments for heart failure typically include treating the underlying cause of the heart failure, medicines, and heart transplantation. Heart failure caused by damage to the heart that has developed over time cannot be cured, but it can be treated with strategies to improve symptoms. A treatment plan may include lifestyle changes, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and a small amount of exercise. Implanted devices or surgeries and monitored cardiac rehabilitation may also be a part of your treatment plan. These may include an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), or a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Surgeries may include cardiac resynchronization therapy, angioplasty, coronary artery bypass, valve replacement, or heart transplantation. Advanced heart failure occurs when the condition has progressed to a point where traditional therapies and symptom management are no longer working. About 10 percent of those with heart failure are in the advanced stages. When this occurs, treatment options become more complex.
NEW TECHNOLOGY: At the University of Utah, heart researchers are developing cell therapies to treat congestive heart failure. After studying a new stem cell therapy, they found improvements in long-term health outcomes in patients with severe heart failure. The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 65th Annual Scientific Session. The goal of the therapy is to give cells back to the heart in order for it to grow stronger, and function like a younger heart. Researchers have been able to see improvements in patients within six months after injecting their own cells directly into the left ventricle of the heart during surgery. Researchers estimate this cell therapy will be FDA-approved within three years.
(Source: http://healthcare.utah.edu/cardiovascular/treatments/stem-cell.php, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160404180956.htm)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS REPORT, PLEASE CONTACT:
Suzanne Winchester
801-581-3102
Suzanne.winchester@hsc.utah.edu
If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com
