Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Improved Left Ventricle Wall Thickness and Capillary Density in Pigs Following Myocardial Infarction

16-Mar-2006

Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. announced that adipose-derived stem cells improved left ventricle wall thickness and capillary density following myocardial infarction in a randomized, placebo-controlled preclinical study. The study, conducted at Tulane University, involved administering fresh (uncultured) adipose-derived stem cells or placebo control intra-coronary to 17 pigs after severe myocardial infarctions. All animals received standard of care therapy. The only difference is that one group additionally received their own fresh adipose-derived stem cells. After an eight-week follow-up period, left ventricle wall thickness and capillary density were measured.

The heart wall thickness in the infarct area was greater in the adipose-derived stem cell group than in the placebo group (5.9mm vs. 3.6 mm), and a similar result was observed in the areas between undamaged and infarcted heart tissue (border regions of the heart - 11.2 mm vs. 8.6 mm). "This is significant as typically, heart attacks, even with standard of care, may result in a thinning heart wall in the area of damage which may lead to subsequent heart failure," said Alex Milstein, MD, VP of Clinical Development at Cytori Therapeutics. Capillary density, a measurement of blood supply, was also significantly increased in the border zones of the adipose-derived stem cell treated group compared to the control group. As expected, the healthy, undamaged myocardium showed no significant differences in the wall thickness or capillary density.

"We feel that these results help explain the positive impact of stem cell transplants for heart patients, demonstrating that they do, in fact, work to thicken the heart wall," said Eckhard Alt, M.D., of Tulane University. "We believe that stem cells from adipose tissue may be a valuable, novel alternative source for helping support cardiac regeneration after a heart attack."

These results are consistent with previously published functional improvements in multiple pre-clinical studies of adipose-derived stem cells and warrant further investigation of this treatment modality in human trials.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/53106/adipose-derived-stem-cells-improved-left-ventricle-wall-thickness-and-capillary-density-in-pigs-following-myocardial-infarction.html