An injection of cells derived from human umbilical cord tissue is more successful at repairing damage from a heart attack than are cells derived from bone marrow, according to researcher Armand Keating and his colleagues at the University of Toronto, Canada. He injected cells originating from the tissues surrounding the blood vessels of the human umbilical cord, typically discarded after birth, directly into damaged heart tissue.
The study used standard heart function tests to measure the effect of the therapy after the cells were injected. Umbilical cord cells improved cardiac function by 40% compared with no treatment, while bone marrow cells improved function by only 18.3%. The umbilical cord cells were 120% more effective in improving heart function than bone marrow cells—a statistically significant difference, researchers said.
“We’re hoping that this translates into fewer people developing complications of heart failure because their muscle function after a heart attack is better, ” said Keating, Professor of Medicine, Director, Division of Hematology and Epstein Chair in Cell Therapy and Transplantation, cross-appointed to the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME).
Keating said he hopes to begin clinical trials of the cells on patients within the next 12 to 18 months. He is also interested in conducting further research with the umbilical cord cells to see if they can overcome the damaging effects of chemotherapy on heart tissue, an agonizing problem for some patients who may be cured of their cancer only to confront heart failure as a result of treatment.
The Toronto-based company that created the technology platform for manufacturing the cells is Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics (TRT). The firm provides cells to leading researchers around the world free of charge. “We have a comprehensive family of international patents to protect this important cell source, ” said Professor J.E. Davies, the President of TRT. A pioneer in this relatively new field, Davies filled his first patent, a special method of extracting this cell population, in 2003. Once isolated, he grows the cell populations to meet the requirements of the research.
