eMedicineLive

In the aftermath of a myocardial infarction, a part of the cardiac muscles involved dies and is replaced by scar tissue. Though ways have been found to prevent further infarcts, like angioplasty, coronary artery bypass surgery, etc., we still haven’t found ways to treat the damaged cardiac tissue. The on-going IMPACT-CABG clinical trial is being conducted with the aim of finding whether stem cell therapy can be the way in future to treat advanced heart failure.

 

As a part of this trial, for the first time in Ontario, two patients underwent cardiac stem cell transplant at the time of coronary bypass surgery at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. The stem cells were derived from the patients’ own bone marrow. The operation was carried out in two stages. During the first stage, 100 millilitres of the patient’s bone marrow was extracted from his iliac crest. Thereafter, researchers at the Organ Regeneration Laboratory separated the CD133 stem cells from the other constituents of the bone marrow using a clinical grade magnetic separating device. The stem cells thus extracted, were tested to pass Health Canada approved stringent criteria. This process took four to six hours.

 

In the second stage of the operation, these stem cells were injected into the damaged part of the heart after the completion of the coronary bypass surgery, which was done on the same day the stem cells were extracted. Researchers believe that the stem cells will help in the regeneration of the damaged cardiac muscle cells and help in treating cases of advanced cardiac failure. Similar cardiac stem cell transplantations are also being carried out at the Maisonneuve Rosemont Hospital, Montreal. After both the centres at Montreal have completed twenty such operations each, the results will be analyzed together as part of the IMPACT- CABG Trial. The analysis of the results of these operations will prove whether stem cell transplantation is effective in regenerating damaged cardiac tissue.

 

References:

---

• 22/02/2012 15:08 - Extra Calories and not Fructose Responsible for the Obesity Epidemic
• 21/02/2012 17:02 - Effective Dose of Propofol is lower in Obese Children
• 18/02/2012 20:00 - Mechanism of Action of Chinese Wonder Herb discovered
• 18/02/2012 14:03 - Sleep Apnea and Road Traffic Accidents
• 17/02/2012 19:25 - Immune Responses influenced by Early Life Farm Environment

• 11/02/2012 18:41 - Transplanted Stem Cells show Promising Results in Brain Injury

• 15/02/2011 14:32 - Stem Cell Banking - Dr.Saranya Narayan Interview

---