Published: Friday, July 8, 2011
Stem-cell heart study shows promise on angina
CHICAGO -- A treatment that uses adult stem cells to rebuild failing hearts reduced severe chest discomfort, known as angina, in patients and improved their tolerance for exercise a year after injection, according to a study led by a Northwestern University researcher working with Baxter International Inc.
Although still in early research stages, the work of Dr. Douglas Losordo of Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, using technology developed by Deerfield-based Baxter, continues to show progress.
The 167-patient trial data, published online Thursday afternoon in the journal Circulation Research, found that patients with their own purified stem cells injected into damaged areas of the heart "experienced significant improvements in angina frequency and exercise tolerance."
In some cases, patients whose activity was limited to "sitting on the couch and watching television" could walk at a comfortable pace without painful chest discomfort or could ride a bicycle, said Losordo, a professor of medicine at Northwestern.
The stem cell treatment uses Baxter's Isolex cell separation and collection system to extract stem cells from bone marrow. Once isolated, the cells are injected into the heart in hopes of regenerating damaged areas.
Stem cells are building blocks that theoretically can be manipulated to perform the work of other cell types.
"Early research across multiple disease categories suggests that stem cells generated within the body in adults may have a therapeutic benefit," Losordo said. "This is the first controlled trial treating chronic myocardial ischemia patients with their own stem cells to achieve significant reduction in angina frequency and improvement in exercise tolerance."
Many of the patients in the trial have no other treatment options because they are so weak, having already had so-called balloon angioplasty or open-heart surgery and are unable to have additional procedures.
The next phase of the trial of more than 400 patients is scheduled to begin later this year, Baxter executives said Thursday.
"These results provide important insights into the potential for these cells to be used in larger-scale settings, and we look forward to moving into Phase III studies in the near future to hopefully substantiate these results," said Norbert Riedel, Baxter's chief scientific officer.
Although still in early research stages, the work of Dr. Douglas Losordo of Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, using technology developed by Deerfield-based Baxter, continues to show progress.
The 167-patient trial data, published online Thursday afternoon in the journal Circulation Research, found that patients with their own purified stem cells injected into damaged areas of the heart "experienced significant improvements in angina frequency and exercise tolerance."
In some cases, patients whose activity was limited to "sitting on the couch and watching television" could walk at a comfortable pace without painful chest discomfort or could ride a bicycle, said Losordo, a professor of medicine at Northwestern.
The stem cell treatment uses Baxter's Isolex cell separation and collection system to extract stem cells from bone marrow. Once isolated, the cells are injected into the heart in hopes of regenerating damaged areas.
Stem cells are building blocks that theoretically can be manipulated to perform the work of other cell types.
"Early research across multiple disease categories suggests that stem cells generated within the body in adults may have a therapeutic benefit," Losordo said. "This is the first controlled trial treating chronic myocardial ischemia patients with their own stem cells to achieve significant reduction in angina frequency and improvement in exercise tolerance."
Many of the patients in the trial have no other treatment options because they are so weak, having already had so-called balloon angioplasty or open-heart surgery and are unable to have additional procedures.
The next phase of the trial of more than 400 patients is scheduled to begin later this year, Baxter executives said Thursday.
"These results provide important insights into the potential for these cells to be used in larger-scale settings, and we look forward to moving into Phase III studies in the near future to hopefully substantiate these results," said Norbert Riedel, Baxter's chief scientific officer.
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