Stem Cell Clinical Trials to Begin at Wahlen VA Medical Center

Red tape has held up the work since 2004, but now stem cell researchers at the University of Utah say they are ready to begin clinical trials for a new stem cell therapy at the veterans' hospital in Salt Lake City. Patients with qualifying heart conditions will have stem cells harvested from their bone marrow and injected directly into their open hearts during surgery:

"They are sick patients who are going to have coronary bypass, and their hearts are going to qualify on the lower end of function. By doing that, we hope to see the best improvement in these patients," says Reiss.

It's a phase one clinical trial, says Russell Reiss, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the George Wahlen Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City. Reiss is also co-director of the Center for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Utah, which Governor Huntsman recently named a Center of Excellence. The designation opens up avenues of funding as researchers develop a medical expertise that may have an economic benefit, too. Dr. Reiss says the field of stem cell research is moving forward with or without approval from the federal government:

"Whether it's overseas or in our own backyard with private industry, there are billions of dollars being spent on all types of stem cells, embryonic stem cells included. So it would be somewhat foolish to sit back and wait until it all sorts out because I think the players that are going to do the best in this game are the ones who get in early."

Reiss's study is funded by a $750,000 federal grant through the merit review service at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The goal is to determine safety and efficacy before moving on to larger, randomized groups. For an in-depth conversation on stem cell research at the University of Utah, download a podcast of this month's Science Utah.