A productive year.
The therapeutic potential of stem cells and cell therapy has captured the imagination of society and the medical community alike around the globe. The next discovery is not far, and 2018 was a productive year.
“Cell therapies and regenerative medicine have immense potential and can offer hope to all patients, including those for whom surgery is not a viable option.”
– James T. Willerson, MD President Emeritus
For two decades, physician-scientists at the Texas Heart Institute (THI) have been awarded funding and have committed significant internal resources to the study of regenerative medicine and cell therapy. These efforts are dedicated to improving treatment options and even reversing the devastating effects of heart and vascular disease.
At the helm of this groundbreaking work are two world-renowned physician-scientists Emerson Perin, MD, PhD and James T. Willerson, who have been leaders in cardiovascular stem cell research for over 20 years.
THI maintains its role as a founding clinical site in the prestigious Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN), which is funded by the NIH. In conjunction with this research network, the team completed enrollment of the first stem cell trial for cancer survivors with chemotherapy-induced heart failure in the fall of 2018.
+20 clinical trials to treat cardiovascular conditions
Dr. Perin is continuing to pave the way for the clinical use of cell therapy in treating patients with heart failure. The first phase III stem cell study for heart failure completed enrollment in December. This study, which is designed to lay the groundwork for approval of stem cell therapy for heart failure, has generated worldwide attention and could lead to implementation of one of the first stem cell therapies to hit the market for congestive heart failure.
The SCC, in conjunction with the CCTRN, completed enrollment of the first stem cell trial for cancer survivors with chemotherapy induced heart failure in the fall of 2018.
