Cardiology
Myoblast Cell Transplantation Therapy for Congestive Heart Failure - Under Study
By Akanksha, Pharmacology Correspondent
Mar 15, 2005, 14:01

GenVec, Inc.announced that three year follow-up data from a Phase I study of its myoblast cell transplantation therapy for congestive heart failure were presented at the 2005 American College of Cardiology 54th Annual Scientific Session in Orlando, Florida.The purpose of this multicenter study was to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of using autologous myoblast transplantation to repair damaged heart tissue in patients who have suffered a heart attack.

In the study, myoblasts were harvested from the leg muscles of 30 patients and then cultured using GenVec's proprietary technique.Twenty-four patients received escalating doses of each patient's own purified myoblasts, which were injected into the area of the heart scarred by previous myocardial infarction during a previously scheduled coronary artery bypass surgery.

Additionally, 6 patients scheduled to have Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantation as a bridge to heart transplant received cells at the time of LVAD surgery.

The findings, presented by Nabil Dib, M.D., M.Sc., FACC, Director of Cardiovascular Research at the Arizona Heart Institute,included evidence of safety with no increased risk of arrhythmia. Encouraging evidence of myocardial remodeling, as shown by MRI, and of tissue viability, as shown by PET scan and MRI, was also seen.

The results indicate that myoblast transplantation is feasible and safe in patients who have suffered myocardial
infarction and are scheduled to undergo coronary artery bypass surgery or receive a LVAD, and that this approach to repairing damaged heart muscle warrants further study.

As the data from these studies were identified as newsworthy for this year's Scientific Sessions, the results were highlighted by Dr. Dib today at the ACC press briefing entitled "Late-Breaking Clinical Trials: Mechanisms and
New Therapeutics Approaches" and subsequently detailed in his presentation, "Three Year Follow-up of Autologous Myoblast Transplantation for Ischemic Cardiomyopathy in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting."

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