VesCell Comment: This method of treating coronary artery disease is similar to the technique that Chaophya hospital currently employs. The main difference is that Vescell does not require taking bone marrow from the patient's hip bone to get the cells. VesCell therapy only requires the patient to donate a small amount of blood.
Infusions of a patient's own stem cells can regenerate heart damage for up to eight years after a heart attack, according to a new study.
The study, reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that the treatment increased left ventricular function and exercise capacity while decreasing the area of heart muscle damage in 18 patients given infusions of their own bone marrow stem cells.
"This new therapy is able to treat until now irreversible heart complaints and function disturbances in patients with chronic coronary artery disease after myocardial infarction, even many years after heart attack," says researcher Bodo E. Strauer of the Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf, Germany. "Therefore there is hope for this large amount of patients with previous myocardial infarction and non-treatable complaints."
The researchers harvested bone marrow from the hip bones of the patients, so there was no threat of transplant rejection. After processing, stem cells from the marrow were infused through a catheter into the coronary artery where the patient's heart attack occurred.
"The main results were at least threefold: an improvement in global left ventricular function by 15 percent, infarction wall movement velocity rose 57 percent, and there was a significant reduction of infarct size by 30 percent. Concerning all those parameters, no significant changes were seen in a representative control group. Moreover, after bone marrow cell transplantation, an improvement of maximum oxygen uptake by 11 percent and of 18F-fluor-desoxy-glucose uptake by 15 percent, which represents myocardial metabolism and viability, into infarct tissue was observed," Dr. Strauer said.
"The stem cell therapy demonstrates that restoration is possible, clinically feasible and associated with an improvement of the performance of the heart by approximately 20 to 30 percent. This therapy is safe, similar to an 'own blood injection or transfusion,' and has no side effects. It needs only bone marrow puncture and cell aspiration with subsequent stem cell preparation," he said.
Larger trials are now underway that could verify the findings.
"It should be noted that until now only 18 patients have been transplanted and were compared to a representative control group. This means that we need to concentrate on a larger, prospective randomized controlled trial in order to strengthen the statistical power of the positive results," says Strauer.
South Korea has been the focus of embryonic stem cell research due to the work being carried out by Hwang Woo-suk. However, the Seoul City government is funding adult stem cell research by making 19.5 billion Won (US$18.5M) available for an adult stem cell hub:
It will be operated by six colleges which play critical roles in adult stem cell research, such as veterinary and medical colleges of Seoul National University, medical colleges of Korea University, Hanyang University, Catholic University and Sejong University. The research will also be joined by three private biotechnology companies such as ACTS, R&L Bio and Histostem, making it a collaborative effort between industry and academia.
The Seoul city government decided to pour its money into adult stem cell research, mainly because adult stem cell research is not subject to much ethical debate, unlike the embryonic stem cell research led by Hwang Woo-suk, professor of Seoul National University. Moreover, adult stem cell research is likely to be put into practical use sooner than later, with substantial impact on the treatment of incurable diseases.
The center will launch various research projects using cord blood stem cells, including basic research, animal experiments, tests for poison and safety, mass production and clinical tests at the end of this year.
Three years from now, it will start clinical tests focused on several incurable disorders; musculoskeletal disorders such as avascular necrosis osteomatoids; ischemic disorders such as stoke and cardiac infarction; neurological disorders such as spinal paralysis and Parkinson’s disease; and diabetes.
The American Heart Association's annual Scientific Conference will be held November 13 - 16 in Dallas, Texas.
Timothy J. Gardner, the AHA Chairman, Committee on Scientific Sessions Program writes in his welcome letter:
The program committees of the American Heart Association’s scientific councils and the Committee on Scientific Sessions Program have again carefully selected content to provide a broad base of information at the forefront of research and clinical practice, including more than 3,800 abstracts of original research and a variety of invited programs.
We are proud to announce that among the presenters at the conference will be the TheraVitae research and clinical trial teams. We are excited to present some findings at this prestigious event.
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.
Revascularization is one of the things that stem cell therapy can do to damaged areas of the heart. But what about other areas of the body? People suffering from Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) are at risk of losing limbs due a reduced (or ceased) blood-flow to their extremities. We are hoping to combat this by using stem cells (Angiogentic Cell Precursors) to regrow blood vessels to damaged tissue thereby saving limbs!
Read our press release:
Stem Cell Cure for Peripheral Vascular Disease on the Horizon
Leading adult stem cell therapy company, TheraVitae, Ltd announces plans to initiate clinical trials to treat Peripheral Vascular Disease using its latest generation of stem cell technology
Bangkok (PRWEB) October 10, 2005 -- TheraVitae, Ltd has announced its intention to begin clinical trials using autologous adult stem cells to treat patients suffering from Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD). The trials are slated for November 2005 and will be held in conjunction with the Vascular Centers at both Chaophya Hospital and Bangkok Hospital.
Peripheral Vascular Disease is a near-pandemic condition that threatens millions with loss of limb; and also life. PVD is the result of narrowing arteries that deprive regions of the body—typically hands, feet, and limbs—of much-needed blood. Stem cell therapy enables patients’ own bodies to repair damaged blood vessels and grow new ones thus restoring blood flow and oxygen to damaged tissue.
TheraVitae will supply its latest generation of Angiogenic Cell Precursors (ACPs) for the trials. TheraVitae takes stem cells from the patient’s own blood, differentiates them into ACPs, and then expands them into a therapeutic dose. The brand name for this new cell population specifically differentiated for treating PVD has not yet been released. TheraVitae CEO Valentin Fulga envisions this new product going into mass-production along with its current product for heart disease, VesCell™ in late 2006. “Our new manufacturing process will allow us to produce our autologous stem cell products at a cost that is much more competitive than other adult stem cell technologies such as bone marrow or cord blood. It will place stem cell therapy within the reach of the middle class”, he said.
The company expects this new treatment to create a revolution in vascular therapy; one that would save tens of thousands of limbs and ultimately, lives a year. “This is an incredibly important treatment,” exclaimed TheraVitae Founder Donald Margolis, “We may very soon have the ability to revascularize tissue. This will not only save, but return function to limbs that many people would have thought doomed to amputation!”
It seems that stem cell therapy is being "discovered" again and again these days. The latest group to announce that they hope to one day treat heart disease using adult stem cells is in Australia.
Researchers at Melbourne-based biotech company Mesoblast have found a rare cell in bone marrow that triggers the regrowth of heart muscle and arteries when injected into a patient. They have also discovered a way to grow it outside the body.
The treatment, using adult stem cells, is injected into a patient immediately after a heart attack to prevent heart failure.
While the article does not say, it is hard to believe the cells in question are any different from the bone-marrow derived cells that have been used to treat heart disease for years now.
We are excited here at TheraVitae! Things are going so well that we are planning top build a large-scale facility to process stem cells. This will allow us to vastly increase capacity and will help us with our goal of making stem cell therapy available to all.
Read our press release:
Stem Cell Plant to Bring Treatment to Thousands TheraVitae to build semi-automated GMP cell manufacturing plant in Bangkok, Thailand.
Bangkok (PRWEB) October 13, 2005 -- TheraVitae, Ltd submitted plans to Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) for the construction of its first semi-automated GMP adult stem cell manufacturing facility in Bangkok, Thailand. The plant will enable TheraVitae to increase production of its autologous stem cell products in order to meet growing demand while simultaneously reducing the overall price of therapy to both hospitals and patients.
According to TheraVitae CEO Dr. Valentin Fulga, the factory is a significant step forward for the company and for Thailand as a leading country in the practical application of stem cell therapy. “We are reaching the capacity of our current laboratory to manufacture our VesCell™ product to treat heart disease. In order to meet this growing demand as well as to produce future products already in the pipeline, a large-scale automated production facility is required,” said Fulga. TheraVitae Founder Don Margolis explained the choice of Thailand saying, “The indispensable help of leaders in the Thai medical community such as Chaophya Hospital and Bangkok Heart Hospital has enabled us to make Thailand the world capital for stem cell treatment of heart disease. It only makes sense to locate our first large-scale cell manufacturing facility here.”
Completion of this large-scale facility will open a new era of stem cell therapy. “We see a future where our facilities are able to serve demand for all cellular products world-wide,” commented Fulga, “the need for cord banking and bone marrow harvesting should virtually disappear overnight once everyone has ready access to their own stem cells through a simple blood donation. This follows our basic mission to make stem cell therapy cost-effective and available to all.”
Survey results were presented at an American Heart Association (AHA) news conference yesterday that showed an alarming statistic:
According to AHA surveys, 46 percent of women list heart disease as their leading cause of death, but only 13 percent report that they feel at personal risk for heart disease.
Many people think of heart disease as a male disease. Here in Bangkok several women have been treated using VesCell Stem Cell Therapy.
We encourage everyone, men as well as women, to look after their cardiac health. If VesCell can help we certainly want you to use it, but even better--keep your heart healthy so you never need any treatment!
The BBC reported today ("Stem cell heart cure to be tested ") that trials may soon begin in the UK using bone-marrow stem cells to treat heart disease. The work is being funded by a charity, the Heart Cells Foundation, set up by stem cell patient Ian Rosenberg who was treated in Germany two years ago. While it is good to see stem cell research for heart disease taking place, it is discouraging to see doctors in the UK reinventing the wheel. People can be treated now for their heart conditions. While trials are necessary for approval in the UK, the BBC article this post links to does not recognize that the UK trials are and older-generation of treatment since surpassed and that UK citizens do not have to wait until enough money has been raised to complete them.
After all Rosenburg already knows:
"Within a matter of months, I was able to do things I could only dream of doing before, such as walking up and down stairs or playing golf," he said.
"Stem cell therapy has given me years I never thought I would have.
A nice article appeared in The Boston Globe over the weekend on adult stem cell research conducted by Dr. Charles Vacanti of Brigham and Women's Hospital.
So far, Vacanti's choice has paid enormous dividends: In the lab, he has grown pancreatic cells that could be vital to treating diabetes. Among the small number of dogs with spinal injuries that he has treated, he said, ''we've had some very significant return of function."
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