Trial Studies Whether Patient’s Own Stem Cells Can Help Heart Muscle Function
Cleveland Clinic has enrolled the first patient in a National Institutes of Health study to determine whether a patient’s own stem cells can be used to improve heart muscle function if they are given two to three weeks after a major heart attack.
The 87-patient study involves extracting a patient’s stem cells and injecting them into the patient. This eliminates problems with rejection and overcomes potential ethical concerns regarding the use of stem cells.
“This study will test therapies that may potentially bring hope to patients with very limited treatment options,” said Stephen G. Ellis, M.D., Section Head, Invasive and Interventional Cardiology at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute. “This is a starting point. Potential FDA approval for treatments such as this is a number of years away.”
The randomized study, one of many on-going in the Center for Cardiovascular Cell Therapy in the Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic, will enroll patients who have had a large anterior myocardial infarction. The first patient, a 67-year-old man, is doing well following the treatment. The two-year study includes investigators at Minnesota Heart Institute, Texas Heart Institute, the University of Florida and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is a not-for-profit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Cleveland Clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey.
Approximately 1,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers at Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Florida represent more than 100 medical specialties and subspecialties. In 2007, there were 3.5 million outpatient visits to Cleveland Clinic and 50,455 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 80 countries. Cleveland Clinic’s website address is my.clevelandclinic.org.
Media Relations Contacts
Brian Kolonick, 216.444.0898, kolonib@ccf.org
Scott Heasley, 216.444.8853, heasles@ccf.org
