The umbilical cords can have a second life, since they are used to treat certain blood diseases. But the benefits of this organ may not be limited to this: a study published in Circulation Research, the journal of the American Heart Association, looked at the impact of umbilical cord stem cells on people withheart failure.
Better quality of life
Colombian, Chilean and American researchers observed 30 participants between the ages of 18 and 75 with stable heart failure, which was appropriately treated with medications standards. They were separated into two groups: the first received injections of stem cells umbilical cords, obtained from human placentas donated by mothers, while the second received a placebo treatment. The result: Umbilical cord stem cell therapy improved the ability of participants ‘hearts to pump blood within a year of treatment and the patients’ quality of life. In addition, this treatment did not have any adverse effects and did not induce an inflammatory immune response.
When we know that heart failure affects more than a million people in France and that half of the patients die within 3 to 5 years of the onset of symptoms, these conclusions give researchers hope. “These results are encouraging because they could pave the way for a new, non-invasive and promising therapy for patients with a bleak future,” concludes Dr. Fernando Figueroa, co-author of the study.
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