ASTM NEWS 06/06/2012 6pm
Ixmyelocel-T Shown to Protect Heart From Damage in Murine Model of Heart Failure
Data Showing Treatment With Ixmyelocel-T Resulted in Decreased Infarct Size Presented in Poster Presentation at the 18th Annual International Society for Cellular Therapy Meeting
GlobeNewswirePress Release: Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.
ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASTM - News), the leading developer of patient-specific, expanded multicellular therapies for the treatment of severe, chronic cardiovascular diseases, today announced results from a preclinical study demonstrating the ability of ixmyelocel-T to protect the ischemic heart from damage in a murine model of heart failure. Results were presented at the 18th Annual International Society for Cellular Therapy Meeting in a poster presentation entitled "Ixmyelocel-T protects the heart from damage in a murine model of heart failure."
In a blinded, vehicle-controlled study, a murine model of non-acute left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery occlusion was used to evaluate ixmyelocel-T as a potential treatment for dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Hearts were analyzed four weeks following injection and those in the treated group experienced a significant decrease in infarct length compared to the vehicle control group. The results were consistent between two lots of ixmyelocel-T (Lot 1: 2.72+/- 0.77 vs. 6.14+/- 0.43, P<0.001; Lot 2: 3.80+/- 0. 37 vs. 7.34+/- 0.47, P<0.001). Animals treated with ixmyelocel-T demonstrated a reduced mortality compared to control (22% vs. 44%) and decreased infarct size and increased survival when compared to a vehicle control group.
Ixmyelocel-T therapy is a patient-specific, expanded multicellular therapy comprised of a mixture of cell types cultured from bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs). Early studies have shown ixmyelocel-T may have positive effects on activities such as tissue remodeling, immunomodulation and the promotion of angiogenesis, which can contribute to severe, chronic cardiovascular diseases.
DCM is a progressive disease of heart muscle. It is the third most common cause of heart failure and the most frequent cause of heart transplantation. The ability of ixmyelocel-T to promote tissue salvage in preclinical trials indicates that the therapy may be protective to the ischemic heart, a cause of DCM. There is currently no accepted preclinical model for DCM.
