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news.Bioheart has reported positive results from a preclinical study involving the injection of myoblasts modified to express stromal derived factor-1 protein into the scar tissue of the myocardium of rats, which suggest improved heart function.
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The data showed a decrease of 0.02ml in end systolic volume (0.13ml to 0.11ml) and a 38% increase in stroke volume (0.31 ml to 0.43 ml) from three weeks post-myocardial infarction to eight weeks post-cell transplantation, as presented in one of the stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1) modified myoblast (SDF-MB) transplanted animals.
These results are indicative of ‘positive remodeling’, or return to normal heart function in the same period. Similar results were found in other study animals. Histopathology confirmed that myoblasts expressing SDF-1 resulted in increased muscle and blood vessel formation in the damaged areas of the hearts, which was not observed in the control.
Additionally, there was an 11.7% plus or minus 2.9% (p=0.02) absolute improvement in ejection fraction between three weeks post- myocardial infarction and eight weeks post-cell transplantation in the SDF- modified myoblast treated animals. By comparison, and as anticipated, the control arm worsened in the same period.
Ejection fraction is the percentage of blood pumped out of the heart’s left ventricle with every heartbeat into the body’s vasculature. A higher percent ejection fraction means more efficient heart function.
Bijoy Thattaliyath, post-doctoral associate for department of pediatric cardiology at University of Florida Health Science Center, said: “The study data suggest that SDF-1 modified myoblasts contribute to greater improvement in cardiac function after transplantation compared to non-modified myoblasts.”