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Researchers Implant Stem Cells in Heart
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center researchers have launched a second clinical trial to test the safety and gauge the promise of using injections of a patient's own stem cells to pump life into a dying heart.
Earlier this May, UPMC began a similar trial that was the first of its kind in the United States. Research conducted in Asia and Europe -- where some Americans with coronary artery disease are traveling for stem cell therapy -- suggests that when patients receive the cells taken from their bone marrow, their hearts show signs of improved function and recovery.
Only patient has enrolled in UPMC's first study to look at the impact of stem cells treatments on five to 10 patients using a mechanical heart pump while awaiting a transplant. The University of Pittsburgh review board overseeing the study bars patients who have had prior heart surgery. Because 80 percent of those who use heart pumps have undergone heart surgery before, recruiting patients for the study is difficult.
Stem cells will be harvested from the patients' hip bone marrow. During bypass surgery, the cells will be injected directly into areas of the heart where blood vessels can't be grafted. Researchers will test the safety of using various concentrations of stem cells in 18 randomly grouped patients. The remaining six will receive placebo injections of their own blood to serve as a baseline for comparison. All patients will be monitored for a year. If this trial shows stem cell therapy in bypass patients is safe and feasible, researchers hope to launch larger studies to test its efficacy.
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