Patent Abstract:
the present invention is a method for improving cardiac function and myocardial regeneration in living subjects after the occurrence of myocardial infarction . the method is a combination stem cell therapy involving a mixture of bone marrow - derived mesenchymal stem cells and bone marrow derived mononuclear cells surgically implanted by using either a direct or catheter - mediated injection into damaged myocardium . studies have shown that the implant improves heart function and myocardial regeneration and echocardiographic measurements .

Detailed Description:
results of experimental studies have shown that intramyocardial implantation of autologous mononuclear bone marrow cells induces neovascularisation , but not a robust improvement in heart function , after myocardial infarction . we propose that the above therapy in conjunction with one that provides a source of cardiomyocytes will represent a substantial promise as a cellular agent for cardiovascular therapy . as a source of cardiomyocyte progenitors and based on in vitro , ex vivo and in vivo studies , we propose the use of autologous ex vivo expanded bone marrow - derived mesenchymal stem cells ( msc ). encouraging preliminary efficacy data in large animal models of myocardial infarction ( minguell , 2006 ) and accumulating safety data from human studies of mscs in non - cardiovascular applications is encouraging . in detail , our invention is the intracoronary injection ( implant via catheter or direct injection ) of a mixture of autologous bone marrow - derived mesenchymal stem cells ( bm - mscs ) ( cells that have the potential to differentiate and mature into mature cardiomyocytes ) and autologous bone marrow - derived mononuclear cells ( bm - mncs ) ( cells that contain endothelial progenitors ) that have the potential to differentiate and mature into cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells , representing an effective and enduring myocardial replacement therapy . see procedure below . primary bone marrow aspirations from the iliac crest will be performed in patients twenty - five .+−. five days before receiving the cell infusion for preparation and expansion of bm - msc . a secondary ( 25 .+−. 5 days from primary aspiration ) bone marrow aspiration from the iliac crest for preparation of bn - mnc will be performed within 5 hours of the intracoronary cell infusion to patients . for cell infusion , aliquots of autologous expanded bm - msc and bm - mnc are taken and mixed together for a final volume of infusion medium . for a better understanding of procedures and schedule , please refer to the following table . cell infusion ( transplantation ) may be done in patients intraoperatively in conjunction with coronary artery bypass grafting by direct injection following the circumference of the infarct border or via intracoronary percutaneous balloon catheter designed for angioplasty . subjects may include patients who fit criteria for acute myocardial infarction or patients with a defined region of myocardial dysfunction related to a previous myocardial infarction . wall motion and left ventricular ejection fraction is evaluated by mri and echocardiography . spect is used to assess viability and myocardial perfusion . a method for myocardial replacement therapy for a patient is disclosed . it involves acquiring two types of bone marrow - derived cells , a source of a therapeutically effective amount of mesenchymal stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes and a source of endothelial precursor cells either from mononuclear cells as such or after purification , that may give rise to new fine blood vessels . the therapeutically effective amount of mesenchymal stem cells and said mononuclear cells into an injection medium is combined . such is injected into the patient . this method may be used wherein the step of acquiring a source of a therapeutically effective amount of mesenchymal stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes comprises performing a first bone marrow aspiration on said patient and producing a therapeutically effective amount of expanded bone marrow - derived mesenchymal stem cells . this method of myocardial replacement therapy may also include producing said therapeutically effective amount of autologous expanded bone marrow - derived mesenchymal stem cells , wherein the first bone marrow aspiration comprises performing said first bone marrow aspiration at least 20 days before the patient receives said injection medium , wherein said first bone marrow aspiration allows for expansion of a therapeutically effective amount of autologous expanded bone marrow - derived mesenchymal stem cells and where the performing of said first bone marrow aspiration from the patient &# 39 ; s iliac crest . further , the above method for myocardial replacement therapy for the patient may include acquiring a source of a therapeutically effective amount of the autologous expanded bone marrow - derived mononuclear as a source of endothelial precursor cells and comprises performing said second bone marrow aspiration from the patient &# 39 ; s iliac crest . as an alternate , the method for myocardial replacement therapy for the patient of the last paragraph above may be accomplished to obtain said therapeutically effective amount of mesenchymal stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes and said therapeutically effective amount of endothelial precursors cells in mononuclear cells , by combining a therapeutically effective amount of aliquots of said therapeutically effective amount of autologous expanded bone marrow - derived mesenchymal stem cells and said therapeutically effective amount of endothelial precursors in mononuclear cells for a final volume of said injection medium . as another alternate , the method for myocardial replacement therapy for the patient of the paragraphs above may be accomplished by injecting said injection medium by intraoperatively injecting said therapeutically combination of cells in injection medium comprises directly to the heart in conjunction with coronary artery bypass grafting or by any other transendocardial delivery system similar to the circumference of the infarct border . as another alternate , the method for myocardial replacement therapy for the patient of the paragraphs above may be accomplished by injecting said injection medium by injection via intracoronary catheter . as another alternate , the method of the paragraphs above may be accomplished by said injection medium being said therapeutically effective amount of autologous expanded bone marrow - derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with said therapeutically effective amount of endothelial precursors cells in mononuclear cells . as another alternate , the method of the paragraphs above may be accomplished by the number of mesenchymal cells being increased in a first aspiration of bone marrow by ex vivo expansion . as another alternate , the method of the paragraphs above may be accomplished by the second aspiration being performed only to prepare the mononuclear cells . as another alternate , the method of the paragraphs above may be accomplished by the second aspiration occurring on the day when the amount of mesenchymal stem cells is sufficient to produce the therapeutically effective amount . allers c , sierralta w d , neubauer s , rivera f , minguell j j , conget p a . dynamic of distribution of human bone marrow - derived mesenchymal stem cells after transplantation into adult unconditioned mice . transplantation 78 , 503 , 2004 assmus b , schachinger v , teupe c , britten m , lehmann r , dobert n , grunwald f , aicher a , urbich c , martin h , hoelzer d , dimmeler s , zeiher a m . transplantation of progenitor cells and regeneration enhancement in acute myocardial infarction ( topcare - ami ). circulation 2002 ; 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