MacroPore Awarded SBIR Grant from the NIH to Study the Use of Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cells for Treating Heart Attack
MacroPore Biosurgery, Inc. announced it has been awarded a Fast Track Phase I/II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the role of adipose-derived regenerative cells in treating myocardial infarction (heart attack). This research will be conducted in collaboration with W. Robb MacLellan M.D. at the David Geffen School of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.).
MacroPore and its collaborators have shown that adipose tissue is a rich source of autologous regenerative cells, which contain adult stem cells. The SBIR studies are designed to evaluate the capacity of adipose-derived regenerative cells to improve revascularization and regenerate damaged myocardial tissue following a heart attack. By using adipose tissue as a cell source, MacroPore intends to demonstrate that it can obtain therapeutically relevant quantities of regenerative-capable cells in real-time.
"The limited ability of the adult heart to regenerate itself after an injury such as heart attack frequently leads to heart failure or other complications," said Dr. MacLellan. "The research performed to date at MacroPore suggests that regenerative cells purified from adipose tissue may represent a clinically useful source of cells to promote myocardial regeneration in patients immediately after a heart attack. This grant will allow us to continue our collaboration with MacroPore and further accelerate this research."
"MacroPore has gained a significant understanding of the potential clinical applications for adipose-derived regenerative cells from our preclinical studies," said Christopher J. Calhoun, President and Chief Executive Officer of MacroPore. "The receipt of this grant will provide funding to help advance our development program."
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