Clemson researcher looks to stem cells to treat heart failure
Liv Osby, losby@gannett.com Sept. 18, 2017
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/health/2017/09/18/clemson-researcher-looks-stem-cells-treat-heart-failure/666911001/
Millions of Americans suffer from heart failure and while there are treatments to improve its symptoms, there is no cure.
But a Clemson researcher is working on a method using stem cells that he hopes will one day make a difference for people with this widespread condition.
“I saw that this is a big problem,” said assistant bioengineering professor Ying Mei. “There is a huge need here, and I’m trying to do something to address it.”
Heart Failure occurs when the heart can’t pump enough blood and oxygen to the organs.
More than 6 million Americans have the condition and one in five people over 40 will develop it in their lifetime, according to the American Heart Association.
Symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent coughing, swelling in the feet, legs or stomach, and fatigue and weakness.
And risk factors include age, coronary artery disease, a previous heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, a diet high in salt and fat, and physical inactivity, the association reports.
Mei and researchers from the University of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of Chicago are working on a new treatment.
Recently they were awarded a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to use stem cells to regenerate heart tissue, and allow the heart to pump blood and oxygen efficiently again.
Stem cells can become many types of tissues, including cardiac muscle, Mei told The Greenville News.
But because the heart doesn’t have the capacity to regenerate tissue, the researchers must find ways to overcome that, he said.
They also face obstacles in delivering the stem cells because although millions are implanted, very few become heart muscle, he said. The cells also want to beat at their own rhythm, potentially causing arrhythmias, he said.
So Mei and his colleagues are developing a technology that blends the cells with silicon nanowires, like those used to make computer chips, into a spherical shaped microtissue that can be injected into the heart, he said.
This will allow more to remain in the heart as well as for synchronized heart beats and less opportunity for arrhythmia, he said.
“In this proposal,” he said, “we are using these engineering tools to make cells beat less, so once they transplant into the heart they have less or no chance to cause arrhythmia.”
That would make it safe to introduce the microtissues into the heart, cause the tissue to regenerate and restore the pumping ability of heart, he said.
Mei’s project addresses one of society’s critical needs, said Anand Gramopadhye, dean of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.
“The consortium they have formed underscores how a strongly collaborative environment can attract major funding and foster innovation,” he said.
While promising, Mei said a new treatment based on the research is at least a decade off.
“There are still a lot of problems to address and FDA approval takes a long time,” he said. “But I’m very optimistic ... (that) this technology can be used for some people one day.”
Liv Osby, losby@gannett.com Sept. 18, 2017
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/health/2017/09/18/clemson-researcher-looks-stem-cells-treat-heart-failure/666911001/
Millions of Americans suffer from heart failure and while there are treatments to improve its symptoms, there is no cure.
But a Clemson researcher is working on a method using stem cells that he hopes will one day make a difference for people with this widespread condition.
“I saw that this is a big problem,” said assistant bioengineering professor Ying Mei. “There is a huge need here, and I’m trying to do something to address it.”
Heart Failure occurs when the heart can’t pump enough blood and oxygen to the organs.
More than 6 million Americans have the condition and one in five people over 40 will develop it in their lifetime, according to the American Heart Association.
Symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent coughing, swelling in the feet, legs or stomach, and fatigue and weakness.
And risk factors include age, coronary artery disease, a previous heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, a diet high in salt and fat, and physical inactivity, the association reports.
Mei and researchers from the University of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of Chicago are working on a new treatment.
Recently they were awarded a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to use stem cells to regenerate heart tissue, and allow the heart to pump blood and oxygen efficiently again.
Stem cells can become many types of tissues, including cardiac muscle, Mei told The Greenville News.
But because the heart doesn’t have the capacity to regenerate tissue, the researchers must find ways to overcome that, he said.
They also face obstacles in delivering the stem cells because although millions are implanted, very few become heart muscle, he said. The cells also want to beat at their own rhythm, potentially causing arrhythmias, he said.
So Mei and his colleagues are developing a technology that blends the cells with silicon nanowires, like those used to make computer chips, into a spherical shaped microtissue that can be injected into the heart, he said.
This will allow more to remain in the heart as well as for synchronized heart beats and less opportunity for arrhythmia, he said.
“In this proposal,” he said, “we are using these engineering tools to make cells beat less, so once they transplant into the heart they have less or no chance to cause arrhythmia.”
That would make it safe to introduce the microtissues into the heart, cause the tissue to regenerate and restore the pumping ability of heart, he said.
Mei’s project addresses one of society’s critical needs, said Anand Gramopadhye, dean of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.
“The consortium they have formed underscores how a strongly collaborative environment can attract major funding and foster innovation,” he said.
While promising, Mei said a new treatment based on the research is at least a decade off.
“There are still a lot of problems to address and FDA approval takes a long time,” he said. “But I’m very optimistic ... (that) this technology can be used for some people one day.”