Hamano K, Nishida M, Hirata K, Mikamo A, Li T S, Harada M, Miura T, Matsuzaki M, Esato K
First Department of Surgery, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
Jpn Circ J. 2001 Sep;65(9):845-7. doi: 10.1253/jcj.65.845.
A new therapy for severe ischemic heart disease has been developed; therapeutic angiogenesis induced by the local implantation of autologous bone marrow cells (BMC). After confirming that no detrimental changes were induced by this treatment in a canine heart model, a clinical trial was commenced in 1999. Thus far, 5 patients have been given this new treatment concomitant with coronary artery bypass grafting and all have been followed up for at least 1 year. Autologous BMC were implanted into the ungraftable area and postoperative cardiac scintigraphy showed specific improvement in coronary perfusion in 3 of the 5 patients. Postoperative chest radiography, electrocardiography, echocardiography and blood tests did not reveal any detrimental changes. In conclusion, this new therapy appears to be safe and could provide a treatment option for patients with otherwise untreatable ischemic heart disease.
