Stem cells could help peripheral artery disease. Dawndy Mercer
reports.
Sep 14, 2007 04:45 PM EDT
NATIONAL - Peripheral artery disease, or PAD, is a serious problem
leading to 30- to 50-thousand amputations a year. Researchers are now
using stem cells to keep patients on their feet.
Delbert Shimer has hardening of the arteries in his legs so severe
it's led to peripheral artery disease.
"I have a lot of pain and burning and stuff - in your feet and legs.
It don't feel very good," said Delbert.
His blood vessels were so clogged, standard treatment was out of the
question. His only option was the amputation of his legs, until he
signed up for a unique stem cell study at Indiana University.
Dr. Michael Murphy says, "We're treating a certain subset of patients
with PAD that are not candidates for surgical bypass or angioplasty
and have such severe vascular disease that they have pain at rest, or
they have gangrene and are at risk for losing their leg, amputation."
In the study, researchers harvest stem cells from the patient's own
hip bone.
Dr. Keith March says, "The bone marrow is processed to provide stem
cells that include stem cells that help to grow blood vessels and
perhaps participate in actual forming of blood vessels."
Researchers inject the cells into the patient's affected leg muscles
hoping to repair sick arteries and grow healthy, new ones.
Dr. March, "We want to do multiple injections so that actually the
muscle in many of its areas will be able to be addressed by the
growth factors that these cells secrete."
Patients in the study have shown improved blood flow.
Dr. Murphy says, "We've had about a 50% significant response rate,
equivalent to what we would hope to obtain with angioplasty.
Delbert says "it helped mine out, I'll say that. I'm doing a lot
better and I don't have all that problem I did have and don't have
that pain I did have."
And so far Delbert's still walking on his own two legs.
Eventually the researchers are hoping to use stem cells from the
patient's own fat tissue, that can be retrieved through liposuction,
and from umbilical cord blood so patients can avoid the painful bone
marrow extraction.
Posted by Bryce Mursch
http://www.wistv.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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