Canadian researcher awarded for breakthrough discovery in treating narrowed arteries
CALGARY , Oct. 25 /CNW Telbec/ - A breakthrough discovery by Heart and
Stroke Foundation researcher Dr. Michael Kutryk that harnesses the body's own
natural defenses to fight narrowing of the arteries has been recognized as "a
glimpse into the future" and "potentially one of the biggest advances in
cardiology to date".
Dr. Kutryk was presented with the Canadian Cardiovascular Society's Young
Investigator Award last night at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2004 in
Calgary, co-hosted by the Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of
Canada.
"We're proud to recognize talented researchers in the early stages of
their careers, and look forward to many more years of great work from Dr.
Kutryk," says Dr. David Johnstone, President of the Canadian Cardiovascular
Society.
A stent is a small, stainless steel mesh tube inserted as a "scaffolding"
to open up plaque-blocked coronary arteries and to keep them open. But in the
first six months of treatment, between 15% and 40% of patients with a stent
experience renewed narrowing of the arteries and blocking of the stent, says
Dr. Kutryk.
This in-stent re-narrowing is called restenosis. It is caused by the
formation of extensive scar tissue on the inside wall of the artery where the
stent is located. To date, the only solution has been to coat the surface of
stents with powerful drugs prior to inserting the stent. Although these drugs
can prevent restenosis, they inhibit the growth of the endothelium, which is
the innermost cell layer of the blood vessel. A healthy endothelium is
necessary for the maintenance of a healthy blood vessel and the lack of
endothelium prevents full healing and can result in life-threatening blood
clots.
Now, both plain stainless steel stents and their drug-eluting cousins may
be on the way out, according to Dr. Kutryk. "The stent we developed with the
help of our Heart and Stroke Foundation funding promotes healing of the artery
wall and prevents blood clots. In fact, it completely heals blood vessels
within 48 hours," says Dr. Kutryk.
Dr. Kutryk coats his stents with a laboratory-designed antibody that
captures naturally occurring endothelial cells that we all have in our
circulating blood. "Within minutes of inserting the stent, the antibodies have
grabbed endothelial cells from the bloodstream and completely coated the
stent," explains Dr. Kutryk.
"This is really exciting work that could make a big difference in the use
of stents in Canada and around the world," says Dr. George Honos, spokesperson
for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and a cardiologist.
Clinical trials for safety and efficacy have been conducted on patients
in Holland, Belgium and Germany. A Canadian trial of 400 patients is set to
begin next year.Dr. Kutryk is also currently being funded by the Heart and
Stroke Foundation to develop a bio-degradable stent that will simply
"disappear" after it has healed the artery or blood vessel. "There are an
enormous amount of applications for this technology. The enquiries are coming
in from cardiologists all over the world," says Dr. Kutryk.
Much of the interest is centered around the anti-blood clotting
capability of the new endothelial surface coatings produced by the "snatch and
grab" action of the antibodies.
"For people with extensive coronary artery disease that cannot be treated
using coronary stents, we designing synthetic, non-clotting, vascular grafts
which surgeons can just order up from the hospital pharmacy. That would
replace current techniques of transferring one of the patient's veins from the
leg into the heart. This could cut the time for bypass surgery in half," he
says.
Also on Dr. Kutryk's research agenda are endothelial cell coated
neurological clips and mechanical heart valves. In both of these procedures
blood clotting is a constant risk that must be kept at kept at bay by drugs.
These drugs can also cause side effects, for some patients including fatal
hemorrhages. Dr. Kutryk's work could lead to less pain for patients, shorter
hospitalizations and significant savings to the Canadian healthcare system.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation (www.heartandstroke.ca) is a leading
funder of heart and stroke research in Canada. Our mission is to improve the
health of Canadians by preventing and reducing disability and death from heart
disease and stroke through research, health promotion and advocacy.
Congress Web site: www.cardiocongress.org
For further information: Interviews, contact the CCC 2004 media office:
(403) 218-7862; Holly Roy (780) 470-5300; After October 27, 2004, contact:
Jane-Diane Fraser, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, (613) 569-4361 ext
273, jfraser@hsf.ca |
