Heart Disease
Stem Cell Treatment for Heart Disease
Patients who are diagnosed with the possibility of suffering from myocardial regeneration and require stronger pumping in the heart, stem cells or myoblasts are the most widely used and recognized treatment of choice. Not only will the stem cell treatment prevent heart attacks from happening, but will also contribute to a better quality of life and health for the patient, avoiding overall heart failure in the future.
Studies have shown that new muscle can be rebuilt within the location of the heart attack, which will replace scar tissue. Biopsy and expansion of 2-5 grams of skeletal muscle are used to isolate the myoblasts, which is followed by a transplanting of the cells to the heart through a catheter. We revolutionized the method of catheter-based stem cell transplanting, because this procedure has proven to have no discomfort other than what is usually experienced during a standard heart angiography.
The procedure allows us to image the heart over three dimensions, so that the area affected by the heart attack is easily identified and therefore allowing a very good, accurate transplanting of the cells to the area of the heart attack. During the entire procedure, the patient is awake, and can be discharged within 24 hours. The time frame to grow new heart muscle is estimated to be 3 months.
Building new arteries: angiogenesis
Chest pain: Angina, more commonly known as refractory chest pain, is an illness which attacks over 130,000 people a year. Chest discomfort is prevalent despite therapy, medicine, and revascularization. However, (does this make sense?)we have found that there is a strong potential in creating new blood vessels which will be used to strengthen blood supply to the heart through the use of stem cell transplants derived from the patient’s blood (CD34).
Preserving deterioration of heart function after a heart attack: More than half of the patients who suffer from heart attacks usually never have a chance for full recovery, even after they have gone through bypass or angioplasty. Transplanting stem cells derived from the patient’s bone marrow has shown to be promising in preventing deterioration of the heart after one suffers from a heart attack.
Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Patients
The model of whole organ transplantation has been very successful, and has paved the way for other similar models such as the concept of myocardial cellular therapy which basically focusing on replacing what has been lost. However, the success of replacing whole organs during transplant may be limited due to the fact that there are limited amounts of organs which are donated. In order to overcome this, cell-based therapy is able to replace dead myocardium and still successfully restore complete heart health. Transplanting the right amount of healthy cells as a replacement of lost heart cells, results in synchronized, contracted activity of the heart.
Stem cell doctors are exploring treatments which derive stem cells (myoblasts) from skeletal muscle because it has shown good potential in treating patients who suffer from congestive heart failure.
Stem cells derived from bone marrow (mesenchyma stem cells) are effective in improving the overall inflammatory and contracting processes of the heart following a heart attack which halts any consequences and minimizes the chance for future heart failure.
Another type of stem cell therapy used for heart patients is peripheral blood stem cells (CD34), which have been used to help stimulate growth of new blood vessels in order to increase blood supply needed to minimize chest pain. However, this method is still being tested in patients who are still suffering even if they are being treated through conventional methods.
Stem Cell Treatment or Therapy is intended as an improvement on ones condition. It is not a “cure all” or “miracle pill.” The doctors have performed hundreds of procedures with great results and results will vary according to each individual patient!
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