Doctors at University of Miami say they could be getting close to a medical breakthrough.
After the first round of testing, cardiologists believe stem cells may be able to help patients after a heart attack.
In a recent study, stem cells were taken from eight patients that had suffered a heart attack at least four months earlier. The participants, which were all men, had an average age of 57 years old. Like many patients dealing with heart problems, their body’s main organ was swollen and had scaring. Doctors took bone marrow from each patient and injected the stem cells from the marrow into their hearts using catheters. The hope was to reduce swelling and heal scars.
The idea worked. The patient’s hearts reduced in size by 25%, something current medication cannot do. Prescription drugs have only been able to shrink the heart by 5%.
On top of that, within three months doctors noticed the scars were beginning to heal. Some of the stems cells transformed into heart cells, turning the scarred tissue into functioning parts of the heart once again.
Doctors believe this is the first step of many to bring the treatment to mainstream medicine. While none of the eight patients had serious side effects, more studies need to be done.
Still, the study is gaining attention. It was published in the American Heath Association’s Journal: Circulation Research and has piqued the interest of patients and doctors alike.
Several more trials are already being arranged. The next study will explore donor marrow, to see if that can work just as efficiently as the patient’s own marrow. The Miami cardiologists will then branch out and work with up to 100 hospitals to continue testing the treatment. The final stage will be the approval of the Food and Drug Administration, which researchers say is at least five years away.
