A new study published in Circulation Research by the American Heart Association demonstrates that cord blood stem cells can be used to treat heart disease.
This unique study demonstrated that stem cells increase cardiac muscle functionality in patients with heart failure .
Thirty patients aged between 18 and 75 years (all with stable heart failure) were tested using either an IV Infusion of umbilical cord stem cells or a placebo for comparison. All stem cells were taken from healthy human placentas during caesarean section. The person responsible for the study, Fernando Figueroa, commented on the findings.
We are encouraged by our findings, as they can pave the way for a promising new non-invasive therapy for a group of patients facing difficulties.
Fernando Figueroa MD , professor of medicine at the University of the Andes, Chile
During the study, stem cells were applied to the cardiac muscle via intravenous infusion. The results suggest that patients experienced clear improvements in cardiac muscle function and quality of life. The test revealed sustained and significant improvements in the heart's ability to pump blood - with no negative side effects. During organ transplants and blood transfusions it is common for patients to suffer from immune complications, but this study did not report any complications.
As a rule, drug-based treatments to control heart failure may be insufficient, and patients often have to move towards more invasive therapies, such as mechanical ventricular assist devices and heart transplantation
Jorge Bartolucci MD , Cardiologist at Cells for Cells and Professor at the University of Los Andes
Umbilical cord stem cells are readily available without ethical objections. This makes them an attractive alternative to bone marrow or embryonic stem cells. Heart failure affects an estimated 37 million people worldwide and 50% of patients will die within five years of diagnosis. This new study brings hope about the possibility of effective treatment.
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