VIDEO: A look at adipose-derived regenerative cell therapy for ischemic cardiomyopathy

ORLANDO, Fla. — In this video exclusive, Timothy D. Henry, MD, discusses the potential of processed autologous adipose-derived regenerative cell therapy for the treatment of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and results of the ATHENA trials presented at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Scientific Sessions.

The ATHENA trials consists of two parallel, randomized, prospective, double blind trials that assessed intramyocardial administration of adipose-derived regenerative cells in patients with symptoms of angina or HF, ejection fraction 20% but 45%, multivessel CAD and inducible ischemia who were receiving maximal medical therapy. The patients underwent a standard liposuction procedure to harvest the adipose cells, which were processed using the Celution System (Cytori Therapeutics) and then the adipose-derived regenerative cells or placebo were delivered via intramyocardial injection.

Enrollment was stopped early due to neurological events that prolonged trial enrollment but were unrelated to the cell therapy. Henry reported results on 31 patients.

Patients who received the adipose-derived regenerative cells demonstrated improvement in symptoms and a trend toward lower rates of HF hospitalizations and angina, despite no improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction or ventricular outcomes at 1 year.

“This is an interesting trial because it’s tantalizing that it shows the potential benefit [of adipose-derived regenerative cells], but there are not yet enough patients [studied] to really have a definitive answer,” Henry, director of cardiology at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, said. “It looks like adipose-derived cells are a good approach, but we still need more data and large trials.”