Volunteers needed for stem cell trial to revolutionise heart treatment
17 July 2009
Doctors want patients to come forward to take part in the UK’s first large scale adult stem cell trial for heart disease.
So far, 89 patients from across Britain have been enrolled for the trial at Barts and The London Heart Attack Centre in Bethnal Green with a further 90 needed to come forward to ensure the best possible field for comparison.
Dr Anthony Mathur, the consultant cardiologist who is leading the trial, said:
“According to latest estimates, over 800,000 people in the UK are suffering from heart failure. Unfortunately many of them are simply unaware this trial is happening. We would like to give as many of these people as possible the opportunity to join these important trials that could revolutionise the treatment of heart failure.
"If stem cells prove to be as effective as initial indicators suggest, then we are on the verge of a major breakthrough for the treatment of this condition. We could improve the quality of life for thousands of chronic heart disease patients."
To be eligible, volunteers must have coronary heart disease or have previously had a heart attack and now suffer with heart failure having received all possible conventional care, and still have symptoms with no other options available. Eligibility for the trials is assessed in a screening clinic.
Patients will undergo one of two types of treatment; the first involves taking stem cells from the bone marrow from a patient's hip with a needle, a relatively painless procedure. Patients are randomised to receive their own cells or a placebo injection as part of the recognised scientific protocol. The cells or placebo are returned to the patient by injecting them into the coronary arteries or the heart muscle - this procedure is performed under a local anaesthetic.
The second procedure will see some patients receive a five day course of injections of a growth factor which simulates the production of white blood cells, to see if this treatment will help release stem cells to repair their damaged hearts. Patients would return to Barts and The London Heart Attack Centre six months later to have their heart scanned for comparison; this procedure is also performed under a local anaesthetic.
The £6 million trial, which started in October 2005, is funded by the Heart Cells Foundation and Barts and The London Charity. In addition to this trial, the programme includes two other pieces of work.
One involves patients who have just had a heart attack and are brought as emergencies to the Heart Attack Centre. Patients receive their own cells (or placebo) shortly after undergoing an emergency angioplasty to clear the blockage that triggered their heart attack. Researchers have so far recruited 22 for this trial, and will recruit a further 78 more.
The other which begins later this year, will be recruiting patients whose hearts are failing specifically because of dilated cardiomyopathy (enlargement of the heart).
Contact: William Mach 020 7480 4843 or Dan Wheelahan 020 7480 4892
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Notes for editors
- Initial results from a pilot group of 58 patients who have taken part in the first study are currently being evaluated and will be published later this year.
- The study is randomised and controlled which means that neither the patients nor the researchers know who will receive a placebo and who will receive their own stem cells.
- To find out more about the trials and to see if you are eligible to take part, visit our dedicated heart stem cell website www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk/HAC/heart_stem_cell_trials.asp, call 020 8983 2216 or 020 8983 2213 or send an email to REGENERATE@bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk
- Donations can be made via: www.heartcellsfoundation.com
- For a photo of patient John Canavan please contact the Press Office.
Patient case study - John Canavan
One heart failure patient who has praised the trial is 69 year old John Canavan from Mill Hill, London. John suffered a heart attack in 1996 and a steady decline in his heart health soon followed. A few years after his heart attack John had a stent inserted into one of the arteries in his heart to repair some of the damage. In late 2005 John’s wife, Ailish, read about the chronic heart disease stem cell trial in Readers Digest while flying to Milan for a holiday; a couple of months later, following a referral from his GP and attendance at a screening clinic, he received treatment at Barts and The London Heart Attack Centre.
John Canavan said: “My feeling is that I received a placebo rather than my own stem cells, however I have seen a gradual improvement in my heart health over the past few years so I can’t really be sure. I do still occasionally get tired, but I am keeping fit, jogging for 20 minutes, three times a week.
“I’m pleased to hear that some initial results from the trial will be available later this year. I would encourage anyone with heart failure to see if they are eligible to take part in the trial so that their condition may be stabilised or even improved and so that others may potentially benefit from this new treatment if it proves successful.”