Shands work may help heart treatment
Blood vessel growth -- if approved -- could eliminate need for transplants.
By CHERIE BLACK, The Times-Union
Shands Jacksonville is the only hospital in Florida involved in a national study evaluating the safety of a procedure that may help grow new blood vessels in the heart.
The study, called Genetic Angiogenic Stimulation Investigational Study, is designed for patients suffering from coronary artery disease and chest pain and for whom traditional treatments haven't worked.
Phase II of the nationwide study began last month and will involve up to 404 patients at more than 30 sites through December.
If successful, the new therapy may offer dramatic improvement for the estimated 250,000 patients in the United States who suffer from severe chest painf-zf+z director of cardiology research at the University of Florida at Shands Jacksonville.
"There are people who come into the lab who we can't do anything for anymore. Now I can say we may have an answer," he said.
The treatment -- if it is approved by the Food and Drug Administration -- could eliminate the need for a heart transplant, which is considered a drastic and last resort treatment for the disease, Costa said.
Previous trials in 1999 and 2000 proved the injected protein was safe for patients, he said. In that test group, 70 percent of patients experienced significant improvement in their chest pain and 30 percent said their their chest pain vanished.
Juan Perez was the first patient at Shands injected with the protein Aug. 30 . The Northside Jacksonville resident has a history of heart problems, including two surgeries and several procedures to insert stents and balloons to open blocked arteries. His disease has lasted for more than a decade and rendered the former army sergeant disabled.
"My life has shrunk from what it used to be," said Perez, 64. "I'm hoping this will increase blood flow to my heart. Without blood flow I'm just like a potato walking around waiting to drop."
Perez was ready to go home the day after he was injected.
Costa said previous trials showed no side effects in patients.
"I come from a background where we've been chasing coronary disease for a long time," said Costa. "Even if this technology doesn't work this time, it is the first step. At minimum, this technology will prove to be safe and will open a whole avenue for us."
cherie.blackjacksonville.com, (904) 359-4504
jacksonville.com |
