Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Disease
Stem Cell Therapy: Helping the Body Heal Itself
Stem cells are nature’s own transformers. When the body is injured, stem cells travel the scene of the accident. There, they help heal damaged tissue. They do this by transforming themselves into whatever type of cell has been injured. Stem cells can become bone, skin – even heart tissue. When your heart muscle is damaged in a heart attack, stem cells are summoned from the bone marrow to make repairs. Stem cells do a good job. But they could do better – for some reason, the heart stops signaling for heart cells after only a week or so after the damage has occurred, leaving the repair job mostly undone. The partially repaired tissue becomes a burden to the heart, forcing it to work harder and less efficiently, leading to heart failure.
Researchers believe that we can we can boost the efficiency of stem cells and help the body recover faster and better from heart attacks, even after the heart has stopped signaling for them. They’ve developed methods to enhance the body’s natural repair function, both in the setting of heart attack and congestive heart failure. Now these methods are being tested in clinical trials. Some of them are enrolling patients now. If you’re interested, read about some of these clinical trials below.
Current Heart and Vascular Institute clinical trials using stem cells to heal the heart
TIME:The trial, led by site PI Stephen G. Ellis, MD, Cardiovascular Medicine, will provide stem cell infusions to patients three days or seven days after they receive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for AMI. The study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of placing bone marrow derived stem cells into the myocardium to improve its function following an AMI after successful revascularization. What’s more, the study will help determine the best time to deliver the stem cells after MI.
Dr. Ellis and colleagues in the Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute are working hard to bring more developing stem cell therapies to the patient's bedside in a safe and timely fashion.
Important information about stem cell trials
- All stem cell studies have strict protocols, approved by the FDA and the Cleveland Clinic Institutional Review Board for inclusion and exclusion criteria. To insure you meet the criteria, patients need to be evaluated by a physician and may require specific testing at Cleveland Clinic. This testing may take more than one day to complete if you require studies or consultations with multiple physicians.
- Stem cell trials are randomized controlled studies – not all patients who undergo evaluation for stem cell trials will receive stem cell therapy.
- Each study has different protocols and the stem cells are accessed and administered differently, and have different criteria for follow-up. The research team will discuss all aspects of the trial with you in detail prior to signing consent and participating in the trial.
- Patients are not given monetary compensation for testing to determine enrollment into the different studies. Once a patient meets the screening baseline criteria and informed consent has been reviewed and signed, patients are not charged for any therapy or monitoring that is directly related to the research. Travel, lodging and meals are not covered by the studies.
Cleveland Clinic is a large referral center for advanced heart disease and heart failure – we offer a wide range of therapies – including medications, devices and surgery. Patients will be evaluated for the treatments that best address their condition. Whether patients meet the criteria for stem cell therapy – or not, they will be offered the most advanced array of treatment options.
For more information and resources
Reviewed: 08/11
This information is provided by Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace
the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider.
Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.
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