Prospective, Controlled and Randomized Clinical Trial on Cardiac Cell Regeneration With Laser and Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cells, in Patients With Coronary Disease and Refractory Angina

Coronary disease is one of the most frequent pathology of the modern world and the leading cause of death in the investigators country. In Spain more than 50.000 coronary percutaneous intervention and more than 5.000 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures are performed every year. Despite this data about 12% of patients have diffuse coronary disease and are not candidates to conventional therapies. Also between 15-25% of patients undergoing coronary bypass grafting receive an incomplete revascularization due to the poor quality of the coronary vessels.

Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) is a surgical procedure that uses a laser to create channels through the myocardial, so this laser stimulates local angiogenesis and provides blood in the ischemic area. Results of this procedure have shown clear benefits in terms of reduction of angina and increase of survival of patients, compared to medical treatment.

Cell therapy in heart disease is offering in recent years encouraging results despite the methodological difficulties that being able to use this technique sometimes involves. The basis lies in the potential ability of stem cells to differentiate into any type of adult cell. In the case of cardiac cell therapy, stem cells can differentiate into myocardial cells or vascular cells capable of developing angiogenesis. Further studies are needed to draw firm conclusions about the clinical impact that the use of stem cells has on cardiovascular disease.

Recently a system has been developed to create, at the same time and in a simple and effective way, the laser channels and the introduction of stem cells on the edges of these channels. This system called PHOENIX ™ consists of a laser probe capable of creating transmural channels in the myocardium.

Based on the what has just been explained, it is quite possible that the combination of both therapies can increase successful results regarding the reduction in angina these patients need. Initially, and after having some experience with this type of treatment, the results could be analyzed and compared with the results obtained through laser therapy, with the help of a controlled clinical trial, such as the one the investigators are proposing.