Chinese stem cell therapy reverses heart failure in 90% of patients in landmark trial

Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital in east China has successfully treated severe heart failure in 90% of patients using a groundbreaking stem cell therapy, according to a landmark clinical study published in Nature Medicine. The hospital, affiliated with Nanjing University, presented its long-term results on Wednesday, demonstrating that patients receiving the innovative therapy experienced significant improvements in heart function compared to those who underwent traditional surgery alone.

The study involved 20 patients with advanced coronary artery disease, divided into two groups. Ten patients received the stem cell injections during coronary artery bypass surgery, while the other 10 received surgery alone. The patients were followed for 12 months, undergoing various assessments, including cardiac imaging, laboratory tests, and functional evaluations.

Remarkably, all 10 patients in the experimental group survived, whereas one patient in the control group passed away eight months after surgery. Two months after treatment, patients who received the stem cell therapy showed a 90% restoration of cardiac function to NYHA Class II, indicating only mild symptoms and normal daily activity. This represented a significant improvement compared to the 60% of control group patients who achieved the same level of improvement.

The stem cell therapy also yielded better results in terms of daily functioning and physical endurance. Patients who received the therapy could walk farther in a six-minute test, with an average increase of 168.8 meters (554 feet), nearly double the improvement observed in the control group. Additionally, the therapy demonstrated promising results in cardiac pumping capacity, with stroke volume – the amount of blood ejected per beat – increasing in the treated group and decreasing in the control group.

Throughout the study, there were no adverse events such as tumors, malignant arrhythmias, or other complications associated with the stem cell therapy. The researchers concluded that this therapy could provide a viable alternative to heart transplants for severe heart failure patients, potentially restoring a "strongly beating heart" without the limitations of donor organ availability.

The study is the world's largest randomized controlled trial of iPSC-derived heart muscle cells for treating severe heart failure, and Phase 3 clinical trials have already begun at multiple hospitals across China to further validate the therapy's long-term efficacy and safety.