A new study has revealed that a pioneering stem cell therapy may reverse severe heart failure in 90% of patients, in a landmark clinical trial conducted in China.
Patients with heart failure suffer from symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, swollen legs, rapid weight gain, and persistent coughing.
Although heart transplantation is the primary treatment for this condition, the scarcity of donors poses a significant obstacle.
In a trial conducted by researchers at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, 10 patients were injected with stem cells capable of growing and differentiating into specialized cardiac muscle cells. The patients' own cells were first converted into undifferentiated stem cells known as iPSCs, then differentiated into cardiac muscle cells, and finally injected into the damaged areas of their hearts. iPSCs are known for their ability to self-renew and differentiate into any cell type in the body.
Ten other patients underwent coronary artery bypass surgery as a control group for comparison. The cardiac function of all patients was monitored using cardiac imaging, laboratory tests, and cardiac function assessments over a 12-month period.
Nine out of ten patients who received stem cell injections showed significant improvement in heart function during a 12-month follow-up period, compared to the control group. Their heart function returned to the level of mild symptoms, with the ability to perform normal daily activities, and significant improvements in chest expansion and breathing comfort. Patients in the treatment group also outperformed those in the six-minute walk test, demonstrating nearly twice the improvement observed in the control group.
The researchers also found that the hearts of patients who received the treatment showed an improvement in the amount of blood pumped with each beat. In contrast, only 60% of patients in the control group achieved this level of improvement, and one patient died eight months after surgery.
The researchers confirmed that there were no serious adverse events in the patients who received the treatment, although two patients experienced a noticeable acceleration in their heart rate, which peaked two to three weeks after the procedure and then disappeared completely.
The scientists noted that future studies are needed to determine the "risk-to-benefit ratio" associated with this treatment, stressing that the current results represent a promising step in the field of treating heart failure using stem cells.
Tha results were published in the journal Nature.
