Heart failure treatment using umbilical cord-derived stem cells

Heart failure treatment

Using umbilical cord stem cells, researchers improved the heart muscle and function of heart failure patients, paving the way for non-invasive therapies.

Dr. Jorge Bartolucci, a professor at the University of the Andes, Chile, and colleagues compared patients who were given an intravenous injection with stem cells from umbilical cords with patients who received a placebo. According to researchers, the findings could improve survival rates for heart failure patients, which currently quite disappointing.

More heart failure patients expected to die within the first 5 years after the diagnosis, and the 10-year survival rate is less than 30 percent. Worldwide, 26 million people believed to live with the condition.

The threat of heart failure increases among people in the United States. The number of people affected is currently set at 6.5 million, and this is expected to rise by 46 percent by the year 2030.

umbilical cord-derived stem cells

In heart failure, the heart"s muscles weaken and can no longer pump blood adequately throughout the body. Researchers previously assessed the potential of bone marrow-derived stem cells as treatment. However, existing umbilical cord-derived stem cells have never evaluated.

In experiment, researchers divided 30 patients aged between 18 and 75 into two small groups. One group received treatment, and the other received a placebo. Patients in both groups had a stable heart failure, which appropriately treated with the standard drugs.

The stem cells used by the researchers derived from umbilical cords, which obtained from human placentas.

In the stem cell group, the therapy improved the hearts" ability to pump blood in the year after the treatment. The stem cell therapy also improves the daily functioning and quality of life of those treated.

Researchers said, the treatment resulted in a significant improvement in left ventricular function, functional status, and quality of life. The findings could influence on clinical outcomes, supporting further testing through large clinical trials.

This type of stem cell therapy may extremely beneficial to heart failure patients, especially when compared with existing treatment options.

More information: [Circulation Research]

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