Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different cell types and can serve as a repair system for the body. Stem cell therapy is being studied as a potential treatment for numerous diseases, including heart disease. Stem cells can be obtained from adult tissues like bone marrow or blood and from umbilical cord blood of newborns. For cardiovascular diseases, stem cells may be injected directly into the heart muscle or veins to regenerate tissue and blood vessels damaged by conditions like a myocardial infarction. Further research is needed to fully understand how stem cells work to treat disease.
1. STEM CELL THERAPY AFTER
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION
General public awareness
2. What are stem cells?
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have the amazing potential to
develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of
repair system for the body, they can potentially divide without limit to
replenish other cells that have been damaged. When a stem cell
divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or
become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a
muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a heart cell.
6. Where can one find stem cells?
• Stem cells can be found in many tissues in the body such as bone
marrow, fat, blood, and other organs like the heart. More immature
stem cells can be found in the embryo, as well as the blood found in
the umbilical cord of a newborn baby. The Stem Cell Center only uses
adult stem cells in its research but no embryonic stem cells are not
used in research very frequently
7. What diseases do stem cells treat?
• Stem cells, depending on where they come from, have been studied
as a possible treatment strategy in numerous diseases such as
diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, burns, spinal cord injury, and more
specifically heart disease.
• Recently, numerous studies have shown the potential benefit of
implanting stem cells into the heart. The treatment of heart disease is
the focus of the Stem Cell Center at the Texas Heart Institute. (Stem
cell therapy is an investigational therapy and therefore no definitive
claim can be made on the benefit for any single disease.)
8. How do stem cells work?
• It is not clear how stem cells work exactly. They may differentiate into
the cells that surround them (a stem cell placed in the heart may
become another heart cell), they may release hormones that help the
surrounding tissue function more efficiently, or they may wake up the
dormant stem cells in the tissue.
• Even though we do not fully understand how stem cells work, one of
the goals of our research at the Stem Cell Center is to further our
knowledge in this area.
9. How do you use stem cells to treat cardiovascular diseases?
• Stem cells can be injected into the veins, arteries, or directly into the
heart muscle. After over 400 injections done safely using direct
injection of stem cells from inside the chamber of the heart, the
investigators at the Stem Cell Center now perform countless
procedures for people all over the world.
• In peripheral vascular disease, stem cells may be injected into the
veins, arteries, or directly into the lower leg muscles in hopes of
regenerating new blood vessels.
10. • Picture of a Myostar™ Injection
Catheter currently used in
studies.