Barts and The London Heart and Chest Centre | Pioneering heart research trial launched
Pioneering heart research trial launched
The next phase in Barts and The London’s pioneering stem cell trial to find a radical new cure for heart disease has been launched. The research, led by consultant cardiologist Professor Anthony Mathur and his team based at The London Chest Hospital, aims to determine whether a patient’s own stem cells can be used to repair damaged heart tissue.
The trial, which began in the summer, is the third in a £6m clinical research project into the potential for stem cells to be used for treating heart disease, run jointly by Barts and The London NHS Trust, The Royal Brompton Hospital and UCLH, funded by the Heart Cells Foundation and Barts and The London Charity.
In this latest phase of the trial, doctors hope to move a step closer to finding a cure for a rare and debilitating heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Dilated cardiomyopathy causes the muscle cells of the heart to die off slowly, weakening and enlarging it so that it is unable to pump blood efficiently. The condition affects two in 10,000 people in the UK and is currently irreversible.
Over 110 patients have taken part in the stem cell research programme at The London Chest since it started in 2005. A further 90 patients are now being sought for the next phase of the trial, which involves a procedure to remove stem cells from the bone marrow of the patient’s hip, which are then injected into the patient’s arteries in the hope that this will repair the damaged heart.
“We are using stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine to try to improve the heart’s function,” said Anthony Mathur. “Given the poor prognosis associated with DCM, it’s very important for these patients to be exposed to a potential new therapy that might change the outcome of their condition.”
Results from the first trial, which involved patients suffering chronic heart disease, are due to be published later this year.
