Stem cells against coronary heart disease
Coronary heart disease (CHD), also known as coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of death among both men and women. This disease is manifested by the gradual formation of plaques on the inner walls of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart, which leads to chest pain, myocardial infarction and heart failure.
Existing methods of treatment of coronary heart disease do not help all patients, so many of them suffer from chronic weakness, shortness of breath and edema of the lungs and lower extremities.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen Clinic conducted the largest double-blind clinical trial to date under placebo control, in which patients with coronary artery disease-induced chronic heart failure were injected directly into the heart muscle with their own mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).
A total of 59 patients with chronic coronary heart disease and severe heart failure participated in the study. Each patient underwent a bone marrow puncture. From the obtained material, the researchers isolated a small number of mesenchymal stem cells, which were multiplied in the laboratory. The resulting cells were delivered directly to the heart muscle of the experimental group of patients using a probe inserted into the inguinal vein. Patients in the control group similarly received an injection of saline solution.
Six months after the procedure, patients who received an injection of mesenchymal cells showed an improvement in the pumping function of the heart compared to patients in the control group. This was manifested by a decrease of 8.2 millimeters in the value chosen as the main evaluation criterion – the final systolic volume corresponding to the smallest volume of blood in the heart during the entire cycle of contractions and being the main measure for evaluating the effectiveness of the pumping function of the heart. In patients of the control group, this indicator increased by 6 mm. The researchers plan to continue monitoring the condition of patients in order to assess the long-term results of treatment.
Earlier studies have demonstrated the ability of mesenchymal stem cells to stimulate the recovery and regeneration of various tissues, including cardiac muscles. According to one of the authors, Anders Bruun Mathiasen, in the case of ischemic heart failure, therapy with these cells most likely acts by promoting the growth of new blood vessels and new muscle tissue.
The data obtained by the authors are also consistent with the results of previous smaller-scale clinical studies, according to which the introduction of mesenchymal stem cells helps to reduce scarring in the area of myocardial infarction.
To launch the procedure for obtaining official approval of experimental therapy of coronary heart disease with mesenchymal stem cells, it is necessary to conduct an even larger phase 3 clinical trial.
The results of the work are presented at the 63rd annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru02.04.2014