Heart failure is a common and one of the most severe diseases amongst humans that can even lead to death. Researchers are invested in constant studies all over the world to bring out better and improved treatments so that the risk and mortality rate of the condition can be brought down.
For the first time, researchers have proposed treatment of heart failure through cells derived from a patient’s bone marrow and heat. They have proved through evidence that this could improve the quality of life within patients and reduce adverse cardiac events after a year. The groundbreaking development would be a great boost for the Cell Therapy Market as it is a big step towards the advancement of cell therapy and heart failure management. The study demonstrates that the new treatment needs to be given once for producing long-term beneficial effects on the prognosis of patients.
The research team conducted CONCERT-HF, a phase 3 clinical trial, to test the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of two types of adult cells. Both cells were used alone and in combination amongst patients suffering from heart failure. The cells so evaluated were, namely, c-kit positive cardiac cells (CPCs) and autologous mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). They were tested in participants with heart failure caused due to ischemic cardiomyopathy (decrease in heart-pumping effectiveness because of lack of blood received by the heart and heart attacks). Autologous CPCs are received from a patients’ heart tissue and MSCs through their bone marrow. Both are referred to as autologous cells as they came from the same person in whom they are put back for treatment purposes.
In the research, the team discovered that patients treated with CPC cells only had a considerable decrease in major adverse cardiac events, especially hospitalization. In comparison, patients treated with MSC alone and with a combination of both cells showed an enhanced quality of life compared to those who received no treatment at all. The quality of life was judged on the basis of patients’ responses to a questionnaire that evaluated the degree to which emotional, physical, and socioeconomic effects of heart failure affected the way of living for people. In addition, they also looked into the extent to which they prevented the patients in the manner they wanted to live.
The novel findings of the trial demonstrate that cell therapy could be an essential treatment against heart failure and could reduce the prospect of hospitalization. Further, it has the ability to improve clinical outcomes. The research team stated that a Phase 3 trials would be undertaken, which would be critical towards getting FDA approval, and soon in the future, the treatment might become available to the patients.