Clinical tests on persons with severe heart disease have shown that when their own stem cells were injected back into their hearts, their heart disease showed marked improvement. These heart patients regained some of the mobility they had lost as a result of their heart disease and saw a reversal of some of their symptoms.

The tests were conducted by researchers from Northwestern University in Chicago and worked with Baxter International, which developed a special stem-cell extraction device. The device extracts stem cells from the patients’ bone marrow and purifies them for re-introduction into the donors’ hearts.The test panel was made up of 167 adults, mostly men, who were divided into test and control groups. All of the men suffered from medium to severe heart disease.Even though the tests have completed only two of the planned three phases,many patients have already experienced reduced angina and increased mobility. Some of the patients had angioplasty at some point in their pasts, or even had open-heart surgery. Some had been home bound and after they took the stem cell treatments, they were able to resume some normal activities like walking up stairs or shopping for groceries.

These test results have created a lot of interest and even excitement within their respective medical circles. These results were presented to the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida last fall. The third and last phase is needed to apply to the FDA for approval, but its start date has not yet been announced. The final stage of such tests usually involve a larger sample than was the case in the Phase II trials.

There are other instances of similar treatment results from injecting sick patients with their own stem cells, most notably in the area of cancer and spinal injury therapy. One disease with similar results is cancer therapy, particularly lymphatic cancer.Amazingly, some persons with spinal cord injuries have regained some of their mobility.

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