Stem Cell Transplant Improves Cardiac Function

A new study finds that transplantation of stem cells soon after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) improves cardiac function.

Researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Disease at Fudan University (China) compared outcomes in 20 patients randomized to either intracoronary bone marrow cell transplantation (BMT) or to an infusion of bone marrow supernatant (who served as controls). The procedures were performed after a successful percutaneous coronary intervention for AMI. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic internal diameter (LVDd), and myocardial perfusion defect scores were examined respectively by echocardiography and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) at one week and six months after AMI.

Although left ventricular function and geometry did not differ at one week after the intervention, by six months post-AMI LVEF had increased significantly in the stem cell transfer group (from 53.8% to 58.6%). The results showed that LVDd remained unchanged in the stem cell transfer group at 6 months, whereas it increased significantly in the control group.

Between 1 week and 6 months after AMI, myocardial perfusion defect scores decreased and myocardial perfusion improved in the bone marrow cell transplantation patients, but similar changes were not seen in the control group. The study was published in the December 2006 issue of the journal Heart.

"Emergent intracoronary transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells to infarct-related coronary arteries is safe and significantly improved global left ventricular function and myocardial perfusion, as well as attenuated the left ventricular remodeling process in patients six months post-AMI,” concluded lead author Professor Junbo Ge, M.D., and colleagues.



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