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Cardiovascular Disease - Cell Therapy & Heart Disease
The shaded area represents the perfusion defect, the target of Cytori’s investigational cell therapy
Adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells may be ideally suited for treatment of heart attacks, an acute condition, and coronary artery disease, a chronic condition.
Acute and chronic heart conditions are caused by the destruction of heart muscle cells due to insufficient blood supply as a result of artery blockages. Following a heart attack, a significant area of heart muscle surrounding the infarct is alive but at risk of dying. This is called the perfusion defect and is the target of Cytori's investigational therapy in Europe.
Preclinical data suggest that adipose-derived stem and regenerative cells improve heart function through several cellular mechanisms aimed at reducing the size of the perfusion defect. These mechanisms include angiogenesis (the promotion of blood vessel growth), anti-apoptosis, (prevention of cell death), differentiation into new heart muscle, as well as other beneficial interactions the cells have with the damaged area. Of these, the angiogenic effect is believed to contribute the largest benefit.
Promotion of blood vessel growth
1. The purple area is deprived of oxygen.
2. Blood vessel growth begins to deliver oxygen to the damaged area.
3. The red depicts an oxygen-enriched area.