Objectives Our aim was to investigate the safety and efficacy of intravenous allogeneic human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in patients with myocardial infarction (MI). Background Bone ...marrow-derived hMSCs may ameliorate consequences of MI, and have the advantages of preparation ease, allogeneic use due to immunoprivilege, capacity to home to injured tissue, and extensive pre-clinical support. Methods We performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging (0.5, 1.6, and 5 million cells/kg) safety trial of intravenous allogeneic hMSCs (Prochymal, Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland) in reperfused MI patients (n = 53). The primary end point was incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events within 6 months. Ejection fraction and left ventricular volumes determined by echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging were exploratory efficacy end points. Results Adverse event rates were similar between the hMSC-treated (5.3 per patient) and placebo-treated (7.0 per patient) groups, and renal, hepatic, and hematologic laboratory indexes were not different. Ambulatory electrocardiogram monitoring demonstrated reduced ventricular tachycardia episodes (p = 0.025), and pulmonary function testing demonstrated improved forced expiratory volume in 1 s (p = 0.003) in the hMSC-treated patients. Global symptom score in all patients (p = 0.027) and ejection fraction in the important subset of anterior MI patients were both significantly better in hMSCs versus placebo subjects. In the cardiac magnetic resonance imaging substudy, hMSC treatment, but not placebo, increased left ventricular ejection fraction and led to reverse remodeling. Conclusions Intravenous allogeneic hMSCs are safe in patients after acute MI. This trial provides pivotal safety and provisional efficacy data for an allogeneic bone marrow-derived stem cell in post-infarction patients. (Safety Study of Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cells MSC to Treat Acute Myocardial Infarction; NCT00114452 )
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
RATIONALE:Preclinical studies indicate that adult stem cells induce tissue repair by activating endogenous stem cells through the stromal cell-derived factor-1:chemokine receptor type 4 axis. JVS-100 ...is a DNA plasmid encoding human stromal cell-derived factor-1.
OBJECTIVE:We tested in a phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation study with 12 months of follow-up in subjects with ischemic cardiomyopathy to see if JVS-100 improves clinical parameters.
METHODS AND RESULTS:Seventeen subjects with ischemic cardiomyopathy, New York Heart Association class III heart failure, with an ejection fraction ≤40% on stable medical therapy, were enrolled to receive 5, 15, or 30 mg of JVS-100 via endomyocardial injection. The primary end points for safety and efficacy were at 1 and 4 months, respectively. The primary safety end point was a major adverse cardiac event. Efficacy end points were change in quality of life, New York Heart Association class, 6-minute walk distance, single photon emission computed tomography, N-terminal pro-brain natruretic peptide, and echocardiography at 4 and 12 months. The primary safety end point was met. At 4 months, all of the cohorts demonstrated improvements in 6-minute walk distance, quality of life, and New York Heart Association class. Subjects in the 15- and 30-mg dose groups exhibited improvements in 6-minute walk distance (15 mgmedian range41 minutes 3–61 minutes; 30 mg31 minutes 22–74 minutes) and quality of life (15 mg–16 points +1 to –32 points; 30 mg–24 points +17 to –38 points) over baseline. At 12 months, improvements in symptoms were maintained.
CONCLUSIONS:These data highlight the importance of defining the molecular mechanisms of stem cell-based tissue repair and suggest that overexpression of stromal cell-derived factor-1 via gene therapy is a strategy for improving heart failure symptoms in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a key role in the evolutionarily conserved mechanisms underlying energy homeostasis in mammals. It is characterized by fat vacuoles 5–10 µm in diameter and expression ...of uncoupling protein one, central to the regulation of thermogenesis. In the human newborn, BAT depots are typically grouped around the vasculature and solid organs. These depots maintain body temperature during cold exposure by warming the blood before its distribution to the periphery. They also ensure an optimal temperature for biochemical reactions within solid organs. BAT had been thought to involute throughout childhood and adolescence. Recent studies, however, have confirmed the presence of active BAT in adult humans with depots residing in cervical, supraclavicular, mediastinal, paravertebral, and suprarenal regions. While human pluripotent stem cells have been differentiated into functional brown adipocytes in vitro and brown adipocyte progenitor cells have been identified in murine skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue, multipotent metabolically active BAT‐derived stem cells from a single depot have not been identified in adult humans to date. Here, we demonstrate a clonogenic population of metabolically active BAT stem cells residing in adult humans that can: (a) be expanded in vitro; (b) exhibit multilineage differentiation potential; and (c) functionally differentiate into metabolically active brown adipocytes. Our study defines a new target stem cell population that can be activated to restore energy homeostasis in vivo for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders. Stem Cells 2014;32:572–581
Full text
Available for:
FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Skeletal myoblasts function as precursors to adult skeletal myocytes. More so than other muscle progenitors, their capacity for de novo self-renewal and their positive functional effects in the ...cardiac environment have been demonstrated, even though they do not attain a cardiomyocyte phenotype. Autologous skeletal myoblasts are easily procured by established methods and can be administered into diseased myocardium safely and without technical difficulty, features that at this time set them apart from any other myogenic cell. Clinical studies in patients with chronic myocardial disease have consistently reported modest improvements in ventricular function and clinical status. Data from the Myogenesis Heart efficiency and Regeneration Trial (MYOHEART) trial are currently being evaluated. Larger, randomized, placebo-controlled studies in patients with congestive heart failure due to postinfarction systolic left ventricular dysfunction are under way, such as Myoblast Autologous Grafting in Ischemic Cardiomayopathy (MAGIC) and Multicenter Study of the Safety and Cardiovascular Effects Of Myoblasts in Congestive Heart Failure (MARVEL). The future role of skeletal myoblasts in the clinical setting will be determined by the results of randomized trials as well as by the investigation of subsequent generations of myoblasts, engineered for enhanced efficacy.
Preclinical trials indicate that CD34+ cells represent an effective angiogenic stem cell component. Early-phase clinical trials suggest that intramyocardial administration of autologous CD34+ cells ...may improve functional capacity and symptoms of angina. RENEW is a pivotal phase 3 trial designed to determine the efficacy of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)–mobilized CD34+ stem cells for the treatment for patients with refractory angina and chronic myocardial ischemia. Patients (n = 444) receiving maximally tolerated antianginal therapies and lacking conventional revascularization options with Canadian Cardiovascular Society class III or IV angina and ischemia on stress testing will be randomized 2:1:1 to cell therapy (G-CSF–mediated stem cell mobilization, apheresis, and intramyocardial injection of 1 × 105 autologous CD34+ cells/kg), active control (G-CSF–mediated stem cell mobilization, apheresis, and intramyocardial placebo injection), or open-label standard of care. The primary efficacy end point is change in exercise treadmill time in the treated vs active control patients, with 90% power to detect a 60-second difference in exercise time between cell-treated (n = 200) and active control (n = 100) patients. Key secondary end points include total number of anginal episodes per week and the incidence of independently adjudicated major adverse cardiac events and serious adverse events. RENEW will be the first adequately powered study aimed at definitively determining the efficacy of a cell therapy (intramyocardially delivered autologous CD34+ cells) for improvement of functional capacity in patients with refractory angina.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Background We sought to determine the safety and preliminary efficacy of transcatheter intramyocardial administration of myoblasts in patients with heart failure (HF). Methods MARVEL is a randomized ...placebo-controlled trial of image-guided, catheter-based intramyocardial injection of placebo or myoblasts (400 or 800 million) in patients with class II to IV HF and ejection fraction <35%. Primary end points were frequency of serious adverse events (safety) and changes in 6-minute walk test and Minnesota Living With HF score (efficacy). Of 330 patients intended for enrollment, 23 were randomized (MARVEL-1) before stopping the study for financial reasons. Results At 6 months, similar numbers of events occurred in each group: 8 (placebo), 7 (low dose), and 8 (high dose), without deaths. Ventricular tachycardia responsive to amiodarone was more frequent in myoblast-treated patients: 1 (placebo), 3 (low dose), and 4 (high dose). A trend toward improvement in functional capacity was noted in myoblast-treated groups (Δ6-minute walk test of −3.6 vs +95.6 vs +85.5 m placebo vs low dose vs high dose; P = .50) without significant changes in Minnesota Living With HF scores. Conclusions In HF patients with chronic postinfarction cardiomyopathy, transcatheter administration of myoblasts in doses of 400 to 800 million cells is feasible and may lead to important clinical benefits. Ventricular tachycardia may be provoked by myoblast injection but appears to be a transient and treatable problem. A large-scale outcome trial of myoblast administration in HF patients with postinfarction cardiomyopathy is feasible and warranted.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US. Following an acute myocardial infarction, a fibrous, noncontractile scar develops, and results in congestive heart failure in more than 500,000 ...patients in the US each year. Muscle regeneration and the induction of new vascular growth to treat ischemic disorders of the heart can have significant therapeutic implications. Early studies in patients with chronic ischemic systolic left ventricular dysfunction (SLVD) using skeletal myoblasts or bone marrow-derived cells report improvement in left ventricular ejection function (LVEF) and clinical status, without notable safety issues. Nonetheless, the efficacy of cell transfer for cardiovascular disease is not established, in part due to a lack of control over cell retention, survival, and function following delivery. We studied the use of biocompatible hydrogels polymerizable in situ as a cell delivery vehicle, to improve cell retention, survival, and function following delivery into the ischemic myocardium. The study was conducted using human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and fibrin glue, but the methods are applicable to any human stem cells (adult or embryonic) and a wide range of hydrogels. We first evaluated the utility of several commercially available percutaneous catheters for delivery of viscous cell/hydrogel suspensions. Next we characterized the polymerization kinetics of fibrin glue solutions to define the ranges of concentrations compatible with catheter delivery. We then demonstrate the in vivo effectiveness of this preparation and its ability to increase cell retention and survival in a nude rat model of myocardial infarction.
Aims
This study aims to explore long‐term clinical outcomes of cardiopoiesis‐guided stem cell therapy for ischaemic heart failure assessed in the Congestive Heart Failure Cardiopoietic Regenerative ...Therapy (CHART‐1) trial.
Methods and results
CHART‐1 is a multinational, randomized, and double‐blind trial conducted in 39 centres in heart failure patients (n = 315) on standard‐of‐care therapy. The ‘active’ group received cardiopoietic stem cells delivered intramyocardially using a retention‐enhanced catheter. The ‘control’ group underwent patient‐level sham procedure. Patients were followed up to 104 weeks. In the entire study population, results of the primary hierarchical composite outcome were maintained neutral at Week 52 Mann–Whitney estimator 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45–0.59, P = 0.51. Landmark analyses suggested late clinical benefit in patients with significant left ventricular enlargement receiving adequate dosing. Specifically, beyond 100 days of follow‐up, patients with left ventricular end‐diastolic volume of 200–370 mL treated with ≤19 injections of cardiopoietic stem cells showed reduced risk of death or cardiovascular hospitalization (hazard ratio 0.38, 95% CI 0.16–0.91, P = 0.031) and cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization (hazard ratio 0.28, 95% CI 0.09–0.94, P = 0.040). Cardiopoietic stem cell therapy was well tolerated long term with no difference in safety readouts compared with sham at 2 years.
Conclusions
Longitudinal follow‐up documents that cardiopoietic stem cell therapy is overall safe, and post hoc analyses suggest benefit in an ischaemic heart failure subpopulation defined by advanced left ventricular enlargement on tolerable stem cell dosing. The long‐term clinical follow‐up thus offers guidance for future targeted trials.
Full text
Available for:
FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Early studies suggested that morbidity and mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were greater for women than men. However, in recent reports, sex-related differences in short-term ...outcome have decreased as outcomes among women have improved.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of sex on long-term mortality among a large cohort of patients undergoing PCI in the contemporary era.
Three hospitals in New York City contributed prospectively defined data elements on 4284 consecutive patients undergoing PCI in 1998 to 1999. All-cause mortality at a mean follow-up of 3 years was the primary end point.
Of the 4284 patients, 1331 (31%) were women. Women were significantly older than men (mean age 67 vs 62 years,
P < .001) and less often white (72% vs 80%,
P < .001). Hypertension (78% vs 66%,
P < .001) and diabetes (36% vs 22%,
P < .001) were more prevalent in women. Prior cardiac surgery (14% vs 19%,
P = .001) and previous myocardial infarction (MI) (33% vs 36%,
P = .08) were less common among women. Presentation with unstable angina was more frequent in women (45% vs 41%,
P = .034), whereas presentation with acute MI did not differ by sex. Congestive heart failure developed more commonly among women (7.1% vs 4.1%,
P < .001). The extent of coronary disease (1-, 2-, or 3-vessel disease) did not differ between women and men. Mean ejection fraction was 52% in women and 50% in men (
P < .001). Stents were placed in 77% of both groups. Procedural success was 97% for both women and men. Inhospital adverse outcomes including death, post-PCI MI, emergency bypass surgery, abrupt closure, and stent thrombosis were uncommon and not different between groups. Mortality at 3 years was 10% for women and 8.9% for men (
P = .197). However, using Cox proportional hazards analysis to adjust for comorbidities and possible confounders, female sex was associated with a significant independent reduction in the hazard of long-term mortality (hazard ratio 0.78, 95% CI 0.620-0.969,
P = .02).
Despite more high-risk characteristics, female sex conferred a long-term survival advantage after PCI.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK