Day: July 13, 2018

Heart attacks are a big deal. Every 40 seconds, someone in the US suffers a heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Even worse, the permanent loss of heart muscle after a heart attack can often lead to heart failure. With fewer muscle cells present, the heart is less able to pump blood to the rest of the body’s tissues. This form of heart disease can not only lead to a number of health problems, but also to premature death. In fact, over half of people diagnosed with heart failure die within 5 years. Stem Cell Research is now becoming the potential answer.

These are major reasons why heart disease researchers are aggressively seeking more effective treatments through cutting-edge innovations. One such innovation involves stem cell research. A study published recently highlights how medical testing on animals might lead to dramatic changes in the way heart attacks and heart disease is managed. Through monkey testing protocols, embryonic stem cell researchers are leading the way in future heart disease therapies.

Heart Disease—Still A Major Health Threat

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in both men and women. In fact, heart disease accounts for more than $200 billion in direct and indirect costs in the US. Though different forms of heart disease exist, coronary heart disease remains the most common. This condition can often lead to a heart attack when cardiac muscle fails to receive enough oxygen and blood flow. If enough cardiac muscle is damaged, heart failure may develop. And with scar tissue frequently replacing damaged heart muscle, other heart diseases can also appear. In addition to heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias are common problems that can be life-threatening in nature.

 Stem Cell Research Trial Offers Potential Solutions

When it comes to heart disease treatment, embryonic stem cells may offer some promise. Researchers from the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine certainly think so. In the trial, researchers took several Macaque monkeys with heart failure and split them into two groups. One group received an injection of 750 million human embryonic stem cells into the heart muscle where a heart attack had occurred. The other group received no treatment. Both monkey groups then underwent testing to evaluate their heart’s ability to pump blood flow.

On average, the heart attacks caused significant damage to the monkey’s heart muscle. Their hearts’ ejection fraction (a measure of pumping effectiveness) fell from 65% (normal) to 40% (abnormal) on average. However, in the monkeys receiving stem cell injections 2 weeks after the heart attack, significant improvement in heart function occurred. Their ejection fraction improved by 10.6% one month later with an additional 12.4% improvement over the next two months. In contrast, the nontreated monkeys did not do nearly as well. Their ejection fractions only improved by 2.5% a month later and then fell 3.5% over the next two months.

Stems Cell Treatments in Heart Disease Is Not Without Issues

The embryonic stem cells research study did show that muscle cells replaced scar tissue in the monkeys’ hearts tested. Overall, MRI confirmed between 10% and 29% of the area normally scarred eventually became muscle. However, among the nine monkeys that completed the testing, one developed heart arrhythmias from the new stem cell muscle tissue. Also, the stem cell research protocol required the monkeys to be on immunosuppressive drugs. And stem cell use for heart disease is not cheap. Estimates suggest a similar stem cell treatment for heart attacks in humans may cost between $6,000 and $7,700. These barriers in addition to legal hurdles related to embryonic stem cell research still need to be considered before moving ahead.

Stem Cell Research and Future Heart Disease Treatments

One remarkable thing involving this stem cell research trial was how easy these new treatments for heart attacks might be. Potentially, embryonic stem cells might be given right after a heart attack to reduce scar formation and heart failure by administration through a catheter in a procedure similar to a coronary angiogram. Likewise, the treatment could require only a single treatment. The researchers are currently planning to test humans in the near future using the monkey testing research as a framework. In fact, researchers are planning a human stem cell research trial on heart attacks by 2020. If these stem cell research results show promise, future treatments for heart attacks could change dramatically. Stem cells could very well redefine modern heart attack protocols and heart disease prevention for many years to come.

Sources: www.cnn.com, www.upi.com, www.clinical-innovation.com

Genetics influences all human characteristics, including our susceptibility to certain complex diseases such as cancer. Looking at diseases with a more granular perspective allows medical professionals to target unhealthy cells in the body for more customized, and therefore, more effective treatments. Precision medicine has put a spotlight on genetics and the genome, revealing in detail how targeted treatments are transforming lives and healthcare.

Identifying and Preventing Diseases

Diagnosing Genetic Diseases

Precision medicine focuses on genetics, and it has been able to detect genome warning signs that eventually cause diseases. Researchers discovered that children with intellectual disabilities have genetic damages on particular proteins required for normal functioning. Genome sequencing has been able to identify up to 60% of the affected genes, providing doctors and even parents a closer look into the disability. This will also allow for a more specific diagnosis. Parents will have more confidence to have children as some genetic disorders can be prevented through IVF. The UK National Health Service announced recently its 100,000 Genomes Project that will use genome sequencing to determine causes in cases of severe unexplained disabilities. Using genome sequencing for preconception screening will potentially reduce the number of genetic disorders.

Use of Genome in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Cell mutations cause cancer, but traditional tests cannot distinguish which of these mutations are accelerating it. The drug imatinib is a product of precision medicine. It is an oral treatment for certain types of cancer. It blocks the cancer cells from signaling with each other, essentially stopping the mutations before they continue to spread. When patients are informed of their conditions on a molecular level, they can be accurately prescribed drugs that cater to their specific cancer.

Analyzing an individual’s genome can also predict their risks of getting cancers. A recent study of people considered predisposed to cancer had an MRI and showed that 10% already had tumors that were yet to show symptoms. Through precision medicine, doctors can treat cancer before it spreads.

Prescriptions

Most medications treat and cure diseases, but these are not always effective. Some are even harmful to the patients receiving them. For one thing, everyone has liver enzymes that clear chemicals from the bloodstream, which affects the concentration of these chemicals and how long they will last in the system. By making medication more personal and targeted, there will be less incidences of wrong prescriptions. People can medicate better and save time and money.

Diverse data

Medical records can incorporate patents’ biomedical information from patients. Medical researchers can mine these records to further bolster their studies. These would then aid medical professionals in profiling diseases and people. Patients can get better strategies for treatment that thoroughly address their medical conditions.

Growing Genetic Diversity

Drug companies are heavily investing in precision medicine as more and more people are developing more complicated genetics. Birth rates of multiethnic children are rising every year. Fourteen percent of children born in the US in 2015 were from multiracial or multiethnic backgrounds, which is three times higher than for those born in the 1980s. This adds an entirely new dimension in genomics that still needs to be explored as race and ethnicity can be investigated to determine ailment predisposition. Biomarkers, substances that suggest the susceptibility to infections or diseases, are found in different groups of people. Similarly, how fast the body metabolizes drugs varies among black, Asian, and white patients. Understanding people’s predispositions is the key to more effective medication, treatment, and drug innovations.

As people develop more multifaceted genetics, there is a more urgent need to understand genetics and the genome through precision medicine. This would help medical professionals provide more reliable prognoses and accurately prescribe medication. And once this has become the norm in the medical world, we can expect better health management and a higher quality of life for billions of people worldwide.

 

Sources: www.healthcareitnews.com, www.theconversation.com, www.bna.com