Umbilical cord cells better at improving cardiac function

Toronto, ON – Researchers at the University of Toronto, found that umbilical cord cells were 120% more effective than bone marrow cells in improving cardiac function after a heart attack,

To stimulate tissue repair and control inflammation most stem cell therapies use cells harvested from bone marrow. A new study published in Cell Transplantation found that, when injected directly into damaged heart tissue, cells originating from the tissues surrounding the blood vessels of the human umbilical cord are superior to those of marrow.

When repairing damage from a heart attack, an injection of cells derived from human umbilical cord tissue is better than one of cells derived from bone marrow, University of Toronto researchers say.

“We are hoping that this translates into fewer people developing complications of heart failure because their muscle function after a heart attack is better,” said Keating, said Dr. Armand Keating, Professor of Medicine, Director, Division of Hematology and Epstein Chair in Cell Therapy and Transplantation, cross-appointed to the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME). Keating and his team will now complete additional pre-clinical studies, and hope to begin clinical trials of the HUCPVC cells on patients within 12-18 months.