Cardiovascular Treatment: Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Disease

We have all learned about stem cell therapy in the context of procedures such as bone marrow transplantation for cancer patients. Recently, there has also been significant research regarding testing the use of stem cells in the treatment of heart disease and the improvement of complications from acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, and cardiomyopathies. With AMI, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become standard treatment, and it is successful in reducing mortality (Puliafico, Penn, & Silver, 2013). This reduction in mortality however is associated with people living with the long-term complications of AMI, such as heart failure, in which half will die within five years of diagnosis (Puliafico, Penn, & Silver, 2013).

Then came the discovery of cardiac stem cells (Puliafico, Penn, & Silver, 2013). These stem cells are activated in the event of an AMI to attempt to repair damaged myocardium. It was then found that non-cardiac stem cells, such as those from bone marrow or adipose, can transdifferentiate into cardiomyocytes to help repair damaged heart tissue. There have been a multitude of different types of stem cells tested, along with different routes of infusing or injecting them into heart or vessel tissue. Research has shown that the introduction of stem cells after an AMI can improve ventricular ejection fraction (EF), volumes, wall motion, and infarct size. In heart failure patients, stem cells have also improved ventricular function through EF, improved functional class, reduced infarct size, decreased mortality, and acceptable safety outcomes (Puliafico, Penn, & Silver, 2013).

I think that this topic is fascinating because it has so much potential to save lives and improve outcomes for those with heart disease. Heart disease is the number one leading cause of death in the United States, and that will most likely not be changing anytime soon (Puliafico, Penn, & Silver, 2013). The research that is done now regarding stem cells can not only lead to improved outcomes for heart disease patients, but it can lead to future research for so many other conditions. While results presented in the article showed that improved outcomes were not consistent across a number of studies, it could be due to the multitude of different stem cells and administration methods possible. More research will be needed because cardiovascular stem cell therapy is still in its infancy. It is exciting to see where this research could potentially lead to though.

Reference:

Puliafico, S.B., Penn, M.S., & Silver, K.H. (2013). Stem cell therapy for heart disease. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 28(10), 1353-1363.

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