From Family Research Council and www.stemcellresearch.org:
Touted ESCR Heart StudiesMixed Results in Animals:
2004 Doctors at the Mayo Clinic transformed embryonic stem cells into fully functional cardiac cells and transplanted them into damaged regions of the hearts of rats. The results showed that the walls of the heart were stronger. Terzic, et al. Stable benefit of embryonic stem cell therapy in Myocardial infarction, American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, August 2004.
2003 Researchers injected mouse embryonic stem cells into the hearts of rats after induced heart attack. The cells turned into heart cells and improved heart function over a period of 32 weeks. Min JY et al. Long-term improvement of cardiac function in rats after infarction by
transplantation of embryonic stem cells. The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 125, 361-369 February 2003.
2002 Researchers turned mouse embryonic stem cells into heart-like cells in a Petri dish. Although the cells demonstrated spontaneous electrical activity, they beat irregularly like an arrhythmia. Zhang YM et al. Stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes demonstrate arrhythmic
potential; Circulation 106, 1294-1299; September 3, 2002.
Adult Stem Cell Successes in Humans and Animals:
2005 Scientists found that rats injected with cardiac stem cells experienced heart tissue regeneration, with the damaged area decreasing by 29%. Researchers claim these results make cardiac stem cells excellent candidates for cardiac regeneration, and give the
possibility that the patients own stem cells could be collected, expanded and stored for subsequent therapeutic repair. Dawn B et al., Cardiac stem cells delivered intravascularly traverse the vessel barrier, regenerate infarcted myocardium, and improve cardiac function,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 102, 3766-3771, March 8, 2005.
2005 Cardiologist Douglas Losordo at Tufts University showed that a type of human bone marrow stem cell can turn into most tissue types of the body. When transplanted into rats which had heart attacks, the stem cells repaired damaged heart tissue. Yoon Y-s et al., Clonally expanded novel multipotent stem cells from human bone marrow regenerate myocardium after myocardial infarction, Journal of Clinical Investigation 115, 326-338, February 2005.
2004 German scientists found that the transfer of bone marrow stem cells improved patients heart function after severe heart attack. Wollert KC et al., Intracoronary autologous bonemarrow cell transfer after myocardial infarction: the BOOST randomised controlled clinical
trial, Lancet 364, 141-148, July 10, 2004.
2004 In a sample of 20 heart failure patients, 10 were injected with bone marrow cells during bypass surgery. After six months, those that received the stem cell treatment had stronger hearts that pumped more blood. Check, Erika. Cardiologists take heart from stem-cell
treatment success. Nature 428, 880 April 29, 2004.
2004 Researchers from the Texas Heart Institute received FDA approval for bone marrow stem cell transplants in patients with severe heart failure. This study showed that after 12 months, patients who were treated had significant improvement in ability to exercise.
Perin EC, et al. Improved exercise capacity and ischemia 6 and 12 months after transendocardial injection of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells for ischemic cardiomyopathy. Circulation September 14, 2004.
2003 Researchers found that infusing bone marrow stem cells into patients after a heart attack aided regeneration of the heart. A major reason for the effective treatment was the ability of the infused cells to migrate to the damaged area. Britten MB et al., Infarct remodeling
after intracoronary progenitor cell treatment in patients with acute myocardial infarction; Circulation 108, 2212-2218; November 2003.
2003 Doctors implanted bone marrow cells into the hearts of eight patients with severe heart disease. After three months, there was improvement in symptoms and regeneration of myocardial cells. Tse H-F et al.; Angiogenesis in ischaemic myocardium by intramyocardial
autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell implantation; The Lancet 361, 47-49; January 4, 2003.
2001 Researchers at the National Institutes of Health injected a growth signal into mice that had heart damage. The mices bone marrow stem cells migrated to their hearts and caused repair of damaged heart tissue. Orlic D et al., Mobilized bone marrow cells repair the infarcted heart, improving function and survival; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 98, 10344-10349, August 28, 2001.
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