HEART FAILURE

What is Heart Failure?

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is not able to pump enough blood throughout the body for its normal function.

The cause of this can be either functional or structural disorder of the heart. Common causes of heart failure include cardiomyopathy, hypertension, heart valve problems and coronary

Can stem cells help treat heart failure?

With respect to the heart, stem cells have the ability to not only home into the damaged areas but also to initiate a cascade of biological events which both culminate in healing of the heart muscle.

For example, animal studies have demonstrated that stem cell therapy will cause new muscle cells to be formed through stimulation of dormant stem cells that are already inside the heart muscle.

In these studies, the administered stem cell also transformed into new heart muscle cells.

At Stem Cell Institute, our stem cell treatment protocol for heart failure involves administration of mesenchymal stem cells harvested from human umbilical cord tissue.

Through administration of mesenchymal stem cells, we have observed improvements in heart failure patients treated at our facilities.

We help you Enhance your own body’s ability to fight,
repair and restore through Advanced
Regenerative Medicine Therapies

Which types of stem cells are used to treat heart failure and how are they collected?

The adult stem cells used to treat heart failure come from human umbilical cord tissue (allogeneic mesenchymal).

The mesenchymal stem cells we use are recovered from donated umbilical cords following normal, healthy births. Each mother has her medical history screened and is tested for infectious diseases. Proper consent is received from each family prior to donation.

All umbilical cord-derived stem cells are screened for infectious diseases to International Blood Bank Standards before they are cleared for use in patients.

Only a small percentage of donated umbilical cords pass our rigorous screening process.

Our mesenchymal stem cells and the US FDA

Are they approved?

Human umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that were isolated and grown in our laboratory in Panama to create master cell banks are currently being used in the United States under US FDA regulation.

These cells serve as the starting material for cellular products used in MSC clinical trials for two Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy patients under US FDA’s designation of Investigational New Drug (IND) for single patient compassionate use. (IND 16026 DMD Single Patient).

What are the different cellular therapies
available for me?

Our comprehensive stem cell treatment protocols employ well-targeted combinations of Exosomes, allogeneic human Mesenchymal cells, and autologous bone marrow and Adipose derived stem cells to treat the diseases and conditions listed previously.

Our treatment plans are mostly focused on a systemic or whole-body approach to ensure these patients receive the highest quality and quantity of cellular products during their time in our hospital.

Of the different kinds of cellular products available for use, there are two main sources that can be used to target the conditions that have been previously discussed.

Autologous procedures

Autologous procedures are those in which the patient is their own donor for the cellular therapy treatment. In these kinds of procedures, a doctor takes a sample (usually of bone marrow or adipose tissue) and harvests the cells from it, before administering it locally to the diseased or damaged area.

Allogeneic procedures

Allogeneic procedures are those in which the patient receives cells that have been sourced from a donor that is not the patient. These samples are neonatal tissue and are comprised of umbilical cord blood.

They are extensively screened to ensure the quality and health of the cells.

The type of treatment used depends on a variety of factors, including medical history and age, but we endeavor to give each patient a personalized, case-by-case treatment plan to ensure that the only possible outcome is a positive one.

Which are the different
administration methods that we use?

After you’ve been selected a candidate, you will meet with our highly-trained team of medical professionals to devise a treatment plan tailored specifically to have the best results possible given your current condition.

Below we will outline the different methods of administering cellular therapies that we use in our medical facilities:

intrathecal-intraarterial

This form of implantation is ideal for neurological conditions because the stem cells are injected past the blood-brain barrier and directly into the spinal fluid, which enables them to reach the spinal cord and brain.

During the procedure, an experienced anesthesiologist inject stem cells into the spinal canal through the lower vertebrae under local anesthesia. They are all performed in a positive airflow room under sterile conditions, and the procedure usually takes about thirty minutes.

Intravenous IV

The safest and simplest method for delivering the stem cells throughout the body.

Anesthesia is not required. We may use Lidocaine topical spray to needle prick area beforehand.

IV administration usually takes about 20 – 30 minutes.

Intramuscular IM

The stem cells are injected directly into the muscle.

Intramuscular implantation is very safe and does not require anesthesia.

What´s Included as part of our treatment?

Before the first day of treatment, we go over the patient’s medical history, including previous and current treatments including physical therapy and cognitive therapy. We interview the patients to know more about them in order to form a custom treatment plan.

Medical General Assessment

Critical care evaluation

Specialist doctor evaluation

Anesthesiology evaluation

Perioperative care

Pharmacy and Supplies

Operating room

Anesthesia Services

Diagnostic/therapeutic imaging

Autologous stem cell acquisition

Pathology services

Hemodynamics suite

Patient coordination fee

Catheterization procedure

Mannitol injection

Med Surg Supplies sterile

Spinal tap procedure

Recovery

Laboratory fee

Culture/Expansion autologous BM
derived stem cells

Med Surg room

IV infusion

Follow up and recommendations

Pick up / Drop off from airport to accommodation and vice versa

Pick up/Drop Off the day of the procedure to and from hospital

Will the patient reject this type of stem cell?

The body’s immune system is unable to recognize umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells as foreign and therefore they are not rejected. HUCT stem cells have been administered thousands of times at the Stem Cell Institute and there has never been a single instance rejection (graft vs. host disease).

As a matter of fact, allogeneic (not the patient’s own) mesenchymal stem cells are approved to treat graft vs. host disease in Canada and New Zealand.

Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells also proliferate/differentiate more efficiently than “older” cells, such as those found in the fat and therefore, they are considered to be more “potent”.

TREATMENTS: HEART FAILURE