European study on fat stem cells could help treat heart attack

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (PinkSheets:EHSI) anticipates the results of a new European study on treating heart attacks with stem cells taken from patients' belly fat.

“It seems as though astonishing medical breakthroughs related to stem cell treatments are becoming more routine every day”

Dutch researchers presented a pilot study at the American Heart Association's annual conference this week that found that stem cells extracted from fat and delivered to the heart managed to improve heart function in 10 heart attack patients. The pilot study represents the first time such a treatment has been undertaken in humans. As a result, doctors plan to extend the study to over 300 heart attack patients in clinics across Europe.

"It seems as though astonishing medical breakthroughs related to stem cell treatments are becoming more routine every day," said EHSI President and CEO Cindy Morrissey. "There's little question that stem cell research holds the most promise for easing suffering since the development of antibiotics, and Emerging Healthcare Solutions is dedicated to championing stem cell innovations such as the treatment described in this new study."

During the pilot study, doctors took fat from the abdomens of 10 heart attack patients using liposuction and sent millions of stem cells derived from the fat back into the patients' heart and bloodstream. Each infusion took less than 10 minutes and was performed within 24 hours of the patient's heart attack. Four more patients received a placebo infusion.

Six months later, those patients given stem cells had triple the rate of blood flow in their hearts compared to the patients given a placebo as well as a 50 percent reduction in scar tissue. Though ten patients is a statistically insignificant number for scientific purposes, the pilot study's results were promising enough to merit further trials.

"High-quality stem cell research is being conducted throughout Europe and around the globe," Morrissey said. "It's vital that our company maintains a global view in order to continue fostering real stem cell innovations."

Morrissey only recently returned from a weeks-long trip to Europe, where she met with scientists, consultants and academics about cutting-edge developments in the healthcare research industry there and cultivated partnerships with overseas healthcare developers and entrepreneurs. During her trip, Morrissey established EHSI business offices in Frankfurt, Germany, and Warsaw, Poland. Those offices will allow the company to maintain long-term relationships with some of the world's foremost stem-cell researchers and entrepreneurs based in Central and Western Europe.