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Posted on Apr 07, 2011, 6 a.m.
University of Miami (US) team has shown that stem cells injected into enlarged hearts reduces heart size, in a preliminary human trial.
Researchers have shown for the first time that stem cells injected into enlarged hearts reduced heart size, reduced scar tissue and improved function to injured heart areas. Joshua M. Hare, from University of Miami (Florida, USA) injected stem cells derived from the patient's own bone marrow into the hearts of eight men (average age 57 years) with chronically enlarged, low-functioning hearts. Reports the team: “The injections first improved function in the damaged area of the heart and then led to a reduction in the size of the heart. This was associated with a reduction in scar size. The effects lasted for a year after the injections, which was the full duration of the study.”
Adam R. Williams, Barry Trachtenberg, Darcy L. Velazquez, Ian McNiece, Peter Altman, Didier Rouy, Adam M. Mendizabal, Pradip M. Pattany, Gustavo A. Lopera, Joel Fishman, Juan P. Zambrano, Alan W. Heldman, Joshua M. Hare. ”Intramyocardial Stem Cell Injection in Patients With Ischemic Cardiomyopathy: Functional Recovery and Reverse Remodeling.” Circ. Res., Mar 2011.
