Clinical Trials Use Stem Cells To Reverse Heart Disease
Clinical tests on persons with severe heart disease have shown that when their own stem cells were injected back into their hearts, their heart disease showed marked improvement. These heart patients regained some of the mobility they had lost as a result of their heart disease and saw a reversal of some of their symptoms.
Heart researchers from Northwestern University and Baxter International, who developed a special device used in the testing. The device extracts stem cells from the patients’ bone marrow and purifies them for re-introduction into the donors’ hearts.A test and control group was set up for the 167 mostly male test patients. All of the men suffered from medium to severe heart disease. The test just completed Phase II of a three-part series, and after the second phase, many in the test group patients had already seen a reduction in angina and an increase in their mobility.Some of the heart patients had already had serious heart operations–open-heart surgery or angioplasty. After they had taken the stem cell treatments, many formerly home-bound heart patients could resume nearly normal activities like going grocery shopping or climbing stairs.
These test results have created a lot of interest and even excitement within their respective medical circles. These results were presented to the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida last fall. The last phase of the testing, which is needed for FDA approval,has not yet announced a date for its start. The third and last phase of testing will involve a larger sample.
This is not a precedent as there are similar examples of introducing the patients’ own stem cells into their diseased bodies that help cure their diseases. One disease with similar results is cancer therapy, particularly lymphatic cancer.Amazingly, some persons with spinal cord injuries have regained some of their mobility.



