Treating Heart Failure with Cord Blood

Healthy stem cells from cord blood can reinforce and strengthen a weakened heart. Heart disorders can cause shortness of breath, dizziness and frequent exhaustion.

Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart can’t pump enough blood into the body. This is caused by a variety of heart disorders, and often leads to coronary artery disease, heart valve complications, and hypertension. While there is no cure for heart failure, researchers are looking at new treatment options, including stem cell therapy.

Stem cells are useful in treating heart problems because, after injection, they naturally travel to the damaged areas in the heart and help start the healing process. In trials, transplanted stem cells caused dormant cells – already inside the heart – to become active, and reinforce the heart muscles. After the injected cells finished healing the heart, they transformed into new muscle cells, and the patient’s heart became stronger.

What is heart failure?

Also known as congestive heart failure, this condition occurs when the body can’t pump enough blood through the heart. Failure develops from a combination of coronary artery disease and high blood pressure, which leave heart muscles weakened, and make blood circulation difficult.

When the heart starts growing weaker, the rest of your body compensates by enlarging the heart chamber and developing stronger cardiac muscles. In certain cases, blood vessels become narrow, which keeps blood pressure stable. The body may even move blood flow away from nonessential organs. If the heart continues to become weaker, none of these methods work, and patients experience unnatural fatigue.

In most cases, a weakened heart leads to blood remaining in, and congesting, vital organs like the liver and abdomen. This causes frequent exhaustion and shortness of breath. Heart failure generally develops because of another condition. Diseases frequently associated with heart failure include:

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • High blood pressure

Healthy changes to diet and exercise regimes can reduce the chance for heart failure. For patients who already have a heart disease, positive lifestyle changes will improve symptoms. Heart-healthy habits include:

  • Stress management techniques
  • Daily exercises – light cardiovascular exercises, like running, are the best for your heart
  • Healthy diets, which include a large portion of fruits and vegetables
  • Reducing sodium (salt) intake

Symptoms

Common symptoms of heart failure include:

  • Fatigue
  • Swelling in the legs
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Rapid weight gain
  • Swelling
  • Loss of appetite
  • Chest pain
  • Persistent cough

Stem cell therapy to treat heart conditions

While stem cells are collected from many points throughout the body, the umbilical cord may be the best area to retrieve cells. When parents decide to donate or store cord blood, medical staff remove the umbilical cord during birth, just like they normally do. The cord is then cleaned and sterilized, and stem cells are collected from the blood.

Bone marrow is another source of stem cells, but often comes with complications. Cells from bone marrow require an exact donor match, and may cause graft-versus-host disease, where donated stem cells attack the host’s body. However, cord blood cells are “immature,” and don’t require an exact match. These cells also have a much lower chance of attacking the patient’s body once transplanted.

Advantages of cord blood treatment

  • Cord blood stem cells don’t require an exact match, so patients will have more treatment options
  • Stem cells from cord blood are more anti-inflammatory than any other cells in the body
  • Collecting cord blood is painless, and patients using these cells can receive treatment immediately
  • As cord blood-derived stem cells are used in more clinical trials, researchers are noting how powerful the cells are – possibly more useful than any other type of cell, including bone marrow cells

    • In the near future, heart failure may be cured by cord blood cells. Read more about current and future benefits of cord blood here.