This week, TCA Cellular Therapy's Medical Director Gabriel Lasala, M.D. presents advances in a proprietary combination adult stem cell treatment for acute myocardial infarction at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) scientific conference in San Diego.
“The similarity in the recovery of our patients is promising”
Myocardial Infarction (MI) or heart attack is when blood vessels supplying blood to the heart are blocked and the muscles die.
TCA Cellular Therapy is the only company in the world utilizing two different types of autogolous adult stem cells to treat cardiac and vascular conditions. Obtained from the patient's bone marrow, the Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are separated, purified, tested and multiplied to several million before being mixed with the patient's mononuclear cells and infused into the damaged areas of the patient's heart.
Dr. Gabriel Lasala and cell biologist Jose Minguell, PhD have completed the FDA Phase I protocol to demonstrate that the therapy is safe and feasible. The trial involved 10 patients.
According to Lasala, six months following Phase I cell infusions, significant improvement with no adverse effects was observed in all patients. The results suggest that development of new capillaries could be a leading event involved in the improvement of MI.
"The similarity in the recovery of our patients is promising," said Lasala. "We find that the stem cells, once re-injected, go about forming new blood vessels, thus increasing circulation dramatically."
The formation of new mature blood vessels with the ability to appropriate blood supply to the heart is complex and requires participation of several types of adult stem cells and growth factors. Phase II will further investigate the safety and efficacy of the combination cell product.
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