Stem Cell Bioimplants Help Regenerate Damaged Heart

Image credit: Jesse Orrico via Unsplash

For people who suffer a heart attack, the resulting scar tissue can often lead to long-term impaired cardiac function.

Now, an exciting emerging therapy using stem offers the potential for regenerating tissue and reinstating normal heart function.

Results from a ground-breaking study have shown the safe use of PeriCord bioimplants, developed from stem cells sourced from the umbilical cord and pericardium of tissue donors, in facilitating the regeneration and revascularisation of the damaged area of a patient’s heart.

The innovation comes via researchers from the Barcelona-based ICREC (Heart Failure and Cardiac Regeneration), at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute and Banc de Sang i Teixits (BST).

Across three years, seven cases of this pioneering procedure found PeriCord bioimplants to have outstanding biocompatibility, with no instances of rejection among patients.

“This pioneering human clinical trial comes after many years of research in tissue engineering, representing a very innovative and hopeful treatment for patients with a heart scar resulting from a heart attack”, said ICREC researcher and first author of the article, Dr Antoni Bayés Genís in a statement.

Dr Sergi Querol, Head of the BST Cellular and Advanced Therapies Service, added: “Its potential could be much wider; we believe it can be a valuable tool for modulating inflammatory processes.”

Refer to the media statement for further details.