Scientists from the Universidad de los Andes in Chile have just completed a trial that uses umbilical cord stem cells to treat heart failure. They discovered that a transfusion of umbilical cord stem cells can improve the muscle function and quality of life of patients diagnosed with heart failure.
The project involved 30 test subjects between 18 and 75 years of age. All subjects had stable heart failure and were receiving optimal drug therapy. The researchers gave each subject an infusion of stem cells or a placebo solution. They then monitored the progression of their disease.
The stem cells were obtained with full consent from the umbilical cord of women who had given birth to a healthy child. This type of tissue is normally discarded as medical waste after the birth of a child.
The scientists found that subjects given umbilical cord stem cells saw a “significant” improvement in their hearts’ ability to pump blood. The subjects also saw an improvement in their ability to function throughout the day and their quality of life. There were no adverse side effects recorded.
The scientists had previously assessed the ability of bone marrow stem cells to treat heart failure. However, this is the first time the condition has been treated with intravenously injected umbilical cord stem cells.
Cardiovascular diseases like heart failure are the most common cause of death in the world, killing more than 17 million per year, worldwide. Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump blood adequately through the body. It usually occurs as a result of coronary artery disease, commonly called hardening of the arteries. It can also be caused by faulty heart valves, damage to the heart muscle, heart defects, and myocarditis.
These findings may lead to a treatment that helps millions of people around the world improve the quality of their life.
Source: Heart failure may be treated by umbilical cord stem cells, says study
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