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Stem cell cure for peripheral vascular disease: New hope on the horizon

by Medindia Content Team on Oct 11 2005 12:25 PM

Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) is a near-pandemic condition that threatens millions with loss of limb, and also life. It is the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries outside your heart. Stem cell therapy enables patients’ own bodies to repair damaged blood vessels and grow new ones thus restoring blood flow and oxygen to damaged tissue.

TheraVitae, Ltd, a private, multinational company focuses on using stem cells from the patient's own blood in order to treat a variety of disorders, especially cardiovascular diseases. The company has recently announced its intention to begin clinical trials using autologous adult stem cells to treat patients suffering from PVD. The trials are slated for November 2005 and will be held in conjunction with the Vascular Centers at both Chaophya Hospital and Bangkok Hospital. TheraVitae will supply its latest generation of Angiogenic Cell Precursors (ACPs) for the trials.

TheraVitae CEO Valentin Fulga envisions this new product going into mass-production along with its current product for heart disease, VesCell™ in late 2006. “Our new manufacturing process will allow us to produce our autologous stem cell products at a cost that is much more competitive than other adult stem cell technologies such as bone marrow or cord blood. It will place stem cell therapy within the reach of the middle class”, he said.

The company expects this new treatment to create a revolution in vascular therapy; one that would save tens of thousands of limbs and ultimately, lives a year. This will not only save, but also return function to limbs that many people would have thought doomed to amputation


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