More stem cell success for heart disease

The rapidity with which stem cell therapy for heart disease is growing world-wide is astounding. The latest work comes from China where successful bone marrow-derived stem cells have once again been used to treat heart disease.

The Chinese group looked at the use of stem cells to treat patients immediately after heart attack.

Six months after transplantation of the stem cells, the ability of the heart's main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, to send blood to the rest of the body had increased by 5.0% in the BMMC group, but decreased by 0.1% in the control group. In addition, there was a significant improvement in blood flow to the left ventricle in the BMT group, as measured by myocardial perfusion, which helps identify sections of the heart that do not receive enough blood. Researchers in this study concluded that in patients with acute myocardial infarction, emergency transfer of BMMCs was safe and effective in improving function and blood flow in the heart at six months follow-up.

Looking over the list of countries where the results of such studies have been made public one sees a truly global list: China, Hong Kong, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, India, Japan, Australia, and of course Thailand. Behind the curve, but now starting trials is the United States. Trials should also start soon in the UK.

The more trials that take place the clearer it becomes that stem cell therapy is here to stay.