Joshua M. Hare on a New Therapeutic Approach for Heart Attacks
Emerging Research Front Commentary, August 2010
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Article: Cardiac repair with intramyocardial injection of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells after myocardial infarction
Authors: Amado, LC;Saliaris, AP;Schuleri, KH;St John,
M;Xie, JS;Cattaneo, S;Durand, DJ;Fitton, T;Kuang,
JQ;Stewart, G;Lehrke, S;Baumgartner, WW;Martin, BJ;Heldman,
AW;Hare, JM |
Joshua M. Hare talks with ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about this month's Emerging Research Front paper in the field of Clinical Medicine.
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited?
This paper definitively reported that bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) produced very dramatic improvements in cardiac structure and function following myocardial infarction. As such, it pointed the way to a new therapeutic approach for heart attacks.
The idea that damaged heart muscle can be repaired and possibly replaced by bone marrow MSC injections has major therapeutic implications. The work also employed a novel catheter delivery system, and, importantly, used allogeneic cells, showing that they were not rejected.
Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or synthesis of knowledge?
"This work has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of heart attack, heart failure, and other chronic diseases."
The new discovery was the reduction in myocardial infarct size, and improvement in heart function. The new methodology was the catheter injection of cells into the infarct zone three days after injury.
Would you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?
This work shows a new method to treat heart attacks. The effects seen with bone marrow stem cell injections are unprecedented in medicine, and raise the hope for much better clinical outcomes following heart attack.
How did you become involved in this research, and how would you describe the particular challenges, setbacks, and successes that you've encountered along the way?
I became involved because of the availability of the relevant animal model in my laboratory and the attractiveness of the hypothesis. The major challenge faced in this work has been the high level of skepticism in the scientific community. Nevertheless, the many studies performed have, over time, continued to support the initial findings.
We have been very successful with initial waves of NIH funding to take this work into the clinic and are currently conducting several early clinical trials to test these ideas in humans.
Where do you see your research leading in the future?
This work has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of heart attack, heart failure, and other chronic diseases.
Do you foresee any social or political implications for your research?
The work, if proven to improve clinical outcomes, will add a new dimension
to the treatment of chronic diseases. From a societal standpoint, ongoing
public funding will be essential to bring this treatment to
fruition.
Joshua M. Hare, M.D.
Louis Lemberg Professor of Medicine
Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Cellular and Molecular
Pharmacology
Director, Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Coral Gables, FL, USA
KEYWORDS: CARDIAC REPAIR, INTRAMYOCARDIAL INJECTION, ALLOGENEIC MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS, MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, MARROW STROMAL CELLS, INCREASED OXYGEN COST, BONE MARROW, ISCHEMIC MYOCARDIUM, PROGENITOR CELLS, TOPCARE AMI, IN VIVO, REGENERATION ENHANCEMENT, TRANSPLANTATION, HEART.