A woman received the world's first treatment using an iPS cell-derived heart muscle sheet and is walking again with no complications.
Osaka Police Hospital Director Yoshiki Sawa (second from right) and others attend a press conference after an iPS cell-derived heart muscle sheet transplant. The patient is in the foreground. (©Sankei/Yuta Yasumoto)
Doctors at Osaka Police Hospital have reported that a patient who received a transplant of ReHeart, a sheet of heart muscle cells made from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), is recovering well with no complications.
The patient, a woman in her 50s from Kanagawa Prefecture who has severe heart disease, spoke at a press conference. "I have nothing but hope for my life going forward," she said. She was discharged from the hospital on October 22.
This is the first time in the world that an iPS cell product has been put into practical use as a treatment. The surgery took place on September 29 and lasted about 50 minutes. It was led by Dr. Yoshiki Sawa, director of the hospital and professor emeritus at Osaka University.
Recovery and Hopes for the Future
The patient suffers from severe heart failure caused by a myocardial infarction (heart attack). Before the surgery, even a short walk would leave her short of breath, significantly disrupting her daily life.
According to Sawa and his colleagues, her condition stabilized by the second day after surgery. She was moved from the intensive care unit to a general ward and began rehabilitation, including walking.
About a month after the operation, she was able to walk around the hospital, and her recovery is progressing well.
The woman said the full effects of the surgery are expected to become apparent within six months to a year. Describing her current condition, she said, "I can now take deep breaths."
Once her symptoms improve further, she hopes to take her dog for a walk and "run as much as I want." She added, "I want to return to the life I had before I became ill. I have nothing but hope."
She will continue taking immunosuppressant medication through the end of the year and will receive follow-up examinations at a local hospital.
How the ReHeart Treatment Works
Sawa and his colleagues developed ReHeart to treat severe heart failure caused by ischemic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which blocked blood vessels make it difficult for blood to reach the heart. The product was commercialized by Cuorips, a venture company originating from Osaka University.
The treatment involves growing heart muscle cells derived from another person's iPS cells into a sheet, which is then attached to the surface of the heart.
The sheet is expected to promote the formation of new blood vessels and help restore heart function. In March of this year, Japan's Health Ministry granted conditional, time-limited approval for the treatment based on clinical trial evidence suggesting that it is effective.
Expanding Treatment
Sawa said the plan is to transplant ReHeart into 75 patients at about 20 medical institutions across Japan. The team is currently considering surgery for 10 additional patients and intends to build up its clinical experience over time.
At the press conference, Sawa said, "This surgery marks the first step toward putting iPS cells into practical use. We want to make the treatment widely available as quickly as possible while sharing our progress with the rest of the world, so that we can save as many patients as possible."
(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: Kazuhiko Takada and Yoshino Nakai, The Sankei Shimbun