Surgeons use stem cells to treat heart failure

In the first procedure of its kind in the United States, surgeons at Houston's Methodist Hospital have injected stem cells directly into the heart of a patient with advanced heart failure.

Surgeons carried out the procedure on the 58-year-old man in the hope that the stem cells will stimulate the growth of new blood vessels, a process known as angiogenesis, and restore mechanical function to the diseased heart tissue, hopefully removing the need for a heart transplant.

To perform the procedure stem cells and progenitor cells derived from the patient's bone marrow were amplified up to 1,000 times, and then injected directly into the heart by cardiac surgeon Dr. Brian Bruckner via a small incision made in the left side of the patient's chest. Doctors will now follow his progress for 12-months.

News release: Surgeons Inject Concentrated Stem Cells Directly Into Patient's Heart in New Clinical Trial. Methodist Hospital, Houston. November 20th 2008.