ViaCell Reports Success With Heart Treatment Stem Cell Therapy
Related News: Stem Cell ResearchWell known stem cell research firm ViaCell is reporting that Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cells (USSCs), which are pluripotent stem cells and can be collected human cord blood, have been tested in a small animal model of myocardial infarction .. ie heart attack or cardiac arrest.
The study of USSCs resulted in functional recovery in an animal model of acute myocardial infarction four weeks following transplantation.
The research findings were presented by Dr. Hiroto Iwasaki of Kobe Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation/RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Isehara, Japan at the American College of Cardiology 55th Annual Scientific Session being held in Atlanta, Georgia.
"These data are very exciting as we've seen few examples of a dose- dependent effect of stem cells demonstrated in the cardiac field thus far. While further research is needed, we also demonstrated USSCs differentiate into both endothelial and cardiomyocytes," said Dr. Takayuki Asahara of Kobe Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation/RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology. "Through our work with ViaCell evaluating their proprietary USSCs, we are encouraged about the potential these cells may have to regenerate damaged heart tissue."
The goal the study was to determine if USSCs would contribute to improvement after acute myocardial infarction in an animal test.
USSCs were implanted 20 minutes after an acute myocardial infarction was induced. The researchers found that engraftment of USSCs in the infarct region and a dose-dependent improvement of heart function conferred by USSCs.
ViaCell Reports Encouraging Preclinical Findings of Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cells from Cord Blood
Posted on March 14, 2006 02:58 PM