The Stem Cell Center performs clinical and pre-clinical research in the specific area of cardiovascular disease.
We are currently enrolling patients with the following cardiovascular conditions:
Important Considerations
If you are a patient or physician referring an interested patient into a research protocol there are a few important considerations:
- The primary concern for any investigation must be the safety of all participants.
- The Stem Cell Center conducts clinical trials in strict accordance with protocols which have been approved by institutional governing agencies including the FDA, and St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Institutional Review Board.
- The Stem Cell Center is dedicated to conducting relevant, well designed, and safe clinical studies. The protocols, therefore, are very strict and no exceptions can be made regarding the criteria that are used to include or exclude patients.
- Patients are not given monetary compensation for enrollment into the different studies. Once enrolled in the trial, patients are not charged for any therapy or monitoring that is directly related to the research.
Please read below for more information on clinical trials being conducted at the Stem Cell Center.
Heart Failure Trials
The Stem Cell Center currently has several enrolling trials for patients with heart failure. Heart failure occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. It usually results from countless heart attacks as a result of blockages in the arteries that feed the heart.
The Stem Cell Center has pioneered stem cell research in patients with heart failure and is actively enrolling patients who:
- are on maximal medical therapy.
- have a low ejection fraction.
- have exhausted all conventional therapy (i.e., bypass surgery and agioplasty).
If you are a Patient and wish to be considered for enrollment in a Heart Failure Trial, please call us toll free at 1-866-924-STEM (7836) or complete our secure online Patient Information Form.
If you are a Physician and would like to refer a patient for consideration, please contact the study coordinator at 832-355-9405.
Heart Attack Trials
A heart attack occurs when an artery that feeds the heart (coronary artery) becomes blocked and blood flow to that area of the heart is cut off leading to muscle damage. The usual course of therapy is to be admitted to hospital, open the blocked artery with a balloon, stent, or surgical bypass, then to be placed on medicines hoping the heart will recover.
The Stem Cell Center is enrolling patients who have had a recent heart attack treated with balloon/stents in order to see if stem cell therapy would aid in the recovery of heart muscle.
If you are a Patient and wish to be considered for enrollment in a trial for patients with recent heart attacks, please call us toll free at 1-866-924-STEM (7836) or complete our secure online Patient Information Form.
If you are a Physician and would like to refer a patient for consideration, please contact a study coordinator at 832-355-9405.
Peripheral Vascular Disease Trials
Peripheral vascular disease results from blockages in arteries that feed the muscles and tissues of the legs. If there are severe blockages, patients may develop severe pain in their leg muscles when walking (claudication), pain in their leg muscles at rest, or no blood flow leading to limb loss.
The Stem Cell Center is now investigating the effects of injecting stem cells directly into the leg muscles in legs affected by blocked arteries. The Stem Cell Center is now actively enrolling patients:
- with severe leg pain from blocked arteries in the legs (claudication).
- with evidence on non-invasive testing (i.e. ABI) of blockage.
- not amendable to conventional therapy including bypass or angioplasty.
- with no active infection in the affected leg.
If you are a Patient and wish to be considered for enrollment in the Peripheral Vascular Disease Trial, please call us toll free at 1-866-924-STEM (7836) or complete our secure online Patient Information Form.
If you are a Physician and would like to refer a patient for consideration, please contact a study coordinator at 832-355-9405.
Updated May 2009
