A team of American researchers has developed an innovative stem cell therapy that can be used to treat heart failure that occurs after a heart attack.  The researchers, from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, have just treated their first patient in a new clinical trial.

Three sites are enrolling participants in the trial, with the first patient receiving the stem cell therapy at the University of Wisconsin Hospital.  The treatment, called CardiAMP, has the potential to help thousands of people each year.

This stem cell therapy uses a high dose of a patient’s own bone marrow cells.  They are injected at the site of the cardiac injury to help the body quickly repair any damage to the heart.

Before the procedure is performed, the patient must have a cell-potency screening test.  This test will assess if their bone-marrow is suitable for the procedure.  After being extracted from the patient’s body, the bone marrow is processed on-site before the procedure is performed. 

Researchers will test participants by measuring how far they can walk over six minutes.  Each participant will be tracked for at least 12 months.

Heart failure often occurs after a heart attack, because the heart muscle is severely weakened.  The symptoms of heart failure include fatigue, shortness of breath, water retention, swollen legs, and chest pain.  It is a condition that affects millions of people around the world.

If this stem cell therapy is found to be effective it could help many thousands of people each year.

Source: UW Treats First Participant in Trial of Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Failure

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