Platelet-rich plasma ‘a promising treatment for heart attacks’
By ANITuesday, January 18, 2011
WASHINGTON - Platelet-rich plasma is a promising biologic treatment for myocardial infarction (heart attack), according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has already been identified as a novel biologic treatment for wound healing and sports-related injuries. But it was only recently that scientists began studying PRP’s potential in repairing damaged cardiovascular tissue.
Studies indicate PRP stimulates cell repair via growth factor release and by attracting reparative cells.
Lead author Allan Mishra and his colleagues studied the effects of RevaTen PRP (a proprietary formulation of concentrated platelets and white blood cells) on cardiac function after inducing cardiac ischemia (damage to myocardial tissue caused by blood restriction) in mice.
In this study of 28 mice, they induced ischemia by either permanently occluding the left anterior descending artery (Group A) or temporarily ligating it for 45 minutes (Group B).
The hearts were then injected with RevaTen PRP or saline control.
In both groups, mice that received PRP after ischemia had significantly better cardiac function as measured by left ventricular ejection fraction on MRI than those that had been injected with saline only.
In group A, the RevaTen-treated animals had 38 percent better ejection fraction compared to saline controls.
In group B, the RevaTen-treated animals had 28 percent improvement in ejection fraction compared to controls.
“Although this is an observational study using an animal model, PRP might someday be employed at the point of care to treat patients who have had a heart attack. This could preserve cardiac function and limit the progression to congestive heart failure,” said Mishra.
“Since myocardial infarction remains the leading cause of death in industrial nations, RevaTen PRP may become a powerful biologic tool in fighting heart disease and provide cost savings,” he added.
The findings were published online in Cardiovascular Revascularization Medicine. (ANI)
