Danish trial results show stem cells improve failing hearts

Results from a clinical trial of 59 patients with chronic ischemic heart disease and severe heart failure found that a new stem cell treatment improved heart pump function compared to the placebo group. Conducted at Rigshospitalet University Hospital Copenhagen, the trial tested a therapy in which stem cells from the bone marrow of the patients are isolated, induced to self-replicate and then injected directly into the patient's heart muscle. Ischemic heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S. The findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology's 63rd Annual Scientific Session. Release