The procedure should complement the company’s MyoCell product, a composition of adult muscle stem cells called myoblasts, which is transplanted into the heart in order to aid repair. The newly patented electrical stimulation procedure should increase blood supply to the transplanted stem cells thus increasing their survival.
Research carried out by the company has shown that when the patented electrical stimulation sequence is applied to ischemic muscle that it significantly increases capillary density, thus increasing blood flow in the tissue.
Bioheart has two additional patents pending for utilizing electrical stimulation to enhance the repair of damaged heart muscle. These new electrical stimulation programs may be applied by bi-ventricular pacemakers to cell-transplanted regions of the heart in order to further improve patient outcomes.