Texas Heart Institute Awarded Grant to Study Sex Differences in Cardiac Repair – Texas Medical Center (press release)
By daniellenierenberg
Earlier this year, Texas Heart Institute received Alpha Phi Foundations 2017 Heart to Heart Grant. The $100,000 grant will fund research led by Doris Taylor, Ph.D., director of the Regenerative Medicine Research and the Center for Cell and Organ Biotechnology at the Texas Heart Institute, to study cardiac repair in women at the cellular level.
Were just really passionate about these projects that have long-term clinical relevancy, as a women-driven organization and being committed to womens heart health, said Colleen Sirhal, vice chair of the Alpha Phi Foundation.
The study will explore sex differences in blood, bone marrow and stem cells of patients enrolled in cell therapy clinical trials.
While bone marrow cell therapy has been used to treat cardiovascular disease in clinical trials, very few studies have been conducted to assess the sex differences in efficacy and outcomes. By performing a proteomic analysis of the samples and evaluating the proteins that cells produce and secrete, the results could shed light on unanswered questions related to critical sex-specific differences in cardiovascular disease, potentially leading to improved cell therapies.
Its about time that were paying attention to sex differences, Taylor said. Were not just small men. The biology is different.
Heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death in both men and women in the United States, yet theres a limited understanding in the scientific community as to why it affects men and women differently. For example, women 45 years old and younger have a higher likelihood than men of dying within a year of their initial heart attack.
In addition, women have a higher risk of developing small vessel disease, in which the walls of tiny vessels within the heart muscle become blocked rather than larger arteries, causing heart-related chest pain. Because the major coronary arteries may look normal, women with small vessel disease can have a heart attack go undiagnosed and untreated.
We know heart disease happens differently in men and women, Taylor said. More young women than men die of heart disease. Why is that? Is there something that happens early? If we only look at these women who are older, are we missing something major? By looking at healthy, normal younger women, were going to be able to do comparisons across time, comparisons by disease, and comparisons by sex. I think thats really exciting.
Historically, women and minorities have largely been underrepresented in research and clinical trials, especially pertaining to cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Taylors colleague at the Texas Heart Institute, Stephanie Coulter, M.D., a cardiologist and the director of the Center for Womens Heart and Vascular Health at Texas Heart Institute and a recipient of the 2013 Heart to Heart Grant, is actively recruiting younger women to participate in her research registry.
Since women are typically affected by heart disease a decade or more later than men, age may also have played a role in this underrepresentation, Coulter said. Our Womens Center research is focusing on women age 18 and older to address this very issue.
Coulter added that trials focusing on prevention in women, such as the Womens Health Initiative and Womens Health Study, have, in fact, had clinical impact. However, the percentage of women enrolling in clinical trials continues to be disproportionate to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in women, but we are seeing improvements thanks to multiple initiatives in the U.S. that continue to address the issue of women in clinical trials.
Its easy for people to assume that if you study men, itll apply to women, but it seems anathema to people to assume that if you study women it might benefit men, Taylor said. At the end of the day, when it comes time to look at the data and ask, How does this treatment work in women? How does this treatment work in men?, oftentimes there arent enough women enrolled in the trials to split that out. Statistically, youd be doing yourself a disservice.
Taylor has spent nearly two decades studying key contributors to cardiac repair at the cellular level, specifically looking at proteins cells produce and secrete based on gender as a new frontier in cell therapy.
Early on in Taylors career, she studied how bone marrow cells behaved based on gender. She extracted cells from male mice and administered them to female mice and vice versa, allowing her to track the Y chromosome. The results showed that only the males treated with female cells improved. This phenomenon raised the question of whether or not the bone marrow cells were the same.
After measuring the bone marrow cells that were present in males and females, Taylor discovered that the cells were inherently different: In the male mice, there were more inflammatory cells, fewer progenitor and stem cells and a different number of immune cells than in the female mice. In addition, when the bone marrow cells were placed in a petri dish, the female cells produced more growth factors responsible for recruiting repair cells after an injury.
Taylor conducted follow-up experiments in which she gave female and male cells to both female and male mice. The results confirmed her hunch: The only cells that were reparative were the female cells.
It made me realize a critical detail for the first time:Every time we take bone marrow from a different person with the intention of delivering it back to them as a therapy, if we look at the cells present in the marrow, theyd be different, Taylor said. Which means, every time were doing an autologous cell therapytrial, in which you take bone marrow and deliver it back to an individual, you are giving each person a completely different or unique drug in that trial.
Through the Heart to Heart grant, the data from Taylors research will allow her to build upon her early research on sex differences and, hopefully, identify a way to optimize cell therapy.
Already cells are as good as some drugs. If we optimize them and choose the right cells for the right patient at the right time, maybe well hit the home run, Taylor said.
The rest is here:
Texas Heart Institute Awarded Grant to Study Sex Differences in Cardiac Repair - Texas Medical Center (press release)
- 001 Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy [Last Updated On: June 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 24th, 2011]
- 002 Wow! UW Research labs [Last Updated On: June 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 25th, 2011]
- 003 cellalign [Last Updated On: June 28th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 28th, 2011]
- 004 Cardiac Stem Cells in End-Stage Human Failing Hearts: Are they functional? [Last Updated On: August 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 25th, 2011]
- 005 Designer Life: repair brain, heart with stem cells - Future Health keynote speaker [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 006 Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy at Rostock University [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 007 Stem Cells: Mending a broken heart? [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 008 Cardiovascular Derivatives of Embryonic Stem Cells in Cardiac Repair and Drug Discovery [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 009 Stem Cell Therapy in Cardiac Disease [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 010 Cardiac Recovery Points to Adult Stem Cells [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 011 Oral Surgeon utilizes StemSave to preserve stem cells in wisdom teeth to combat cardiac disease [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 012 Stem Cells and Cardiac Regeneration [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 013 Dr Victor Dzau on Stem Cells for Cardiac Repair. [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 014 Cardiomyogenic differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem cells (KUM2/9-15c) [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2011]
- 015 Heart Failure Patient After Adult Stem Cell Therapy [Last Updated On: September 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 5th, 2011]
- 016 Stem Cell operation in Cardiac Surgery-Al-Jazeerah [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2011]
- 017 Heart Disease Patient Describes His Stem Cell Treatment [Last Updated On: September 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 9th, 2011]
- 018 Cardiovascular Therapies: Spotlight on Stem Cell Research - Douglas Boyd [Last Updated On: September 16th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 16th, 2011]
- 019 Adult Stem Cell [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2011]
- 020 Heart repair using own stem cells after heart attack: Future Health keynote speaker [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2011]
- 021 Stem Cell #8 Vas Cath Removal 04/28/11 [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2011]
- 022 Adult Stem Cells Used To Rebuild Heart Tissue Video. More at http://www.stemcellfusion.com [Last Updated On: September 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 20th, 2011]
- 023 Davos Question: Stem Cell Answer [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2011]
- 024 Did you have a Heart Attack and Need to Recover your Cardiac Muscle? [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2011]
- 025 Cardiac Tissue Can Regenerate [Last Updated On: September 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 22nd, 2011]
- 026 William F. Testimonial of Treatment Stem Cell [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2011]
- 027 Stem Cell Heart Surgery must see [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 028 Valentine's Day Stem Cell Wish: Mending Broken Hearts [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 029 Advanced Cell Technology OneMedForum 2011 [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 030 Human 2.0: The Helix of Our Future [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 031 heart cell generation from human ES and iPS cells (embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells).flv [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 032 Stem Cell Therapy and Stem Cell Treatment with Dell [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 033 UCD Med Student Receives Fulbright Award [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- 034 Cardiomyocytes derived from mouse Embryonic stem cells [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 035 Immune Control of Stem Cell Mobilization [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 036 Better Drugs Through Stem Cells [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 037 stem cell derived cardiomyocytes [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 038 Stem Cells: Heart cells grown from mouse stem cells [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 039 Patel Stem Cell Heart Failure [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 040 Turning Adult Stem Cells into Medicine - Zannos Grekos, MD [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 041 Kevin's 2 Heart Transplants and Stem Cell Transplant [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 042 Breakthrough in Stem cell technology [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- 043 Affordable Stem Cell Therapy in Guatemala (2hrs from Miami) [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 044 Cadiomyogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 045 Mark Mercola: Differentiating embryonic stem cells into adult tissues [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 046 Cardiomyocytic differentiation of endometrial stem cells. [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 047 Adult Stem Cell vs Embryonic Stem Cell Research Ethics Video [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2011]
- 048 Pt. 1--Dr. Ali Denktas--Stem Cells as Markers after Myocardial Infarctions [Last Updated On: September 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 27th, 2011]
- 049 Repairing Damaged Hearts with Stem Cells [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 050 Mouse GEN cells overexpressing Csx/Nkx2.5 and GATA4 behave like transient amplifying cells [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 051 20100804_axiogenesis.wmv [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 052 Beating Cardiomyocytes from E14 Cells [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 053 Heart cells grown from human embryonic stem cells [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 054 First US Patient In Stem Cell Transplant [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- 055 Be still my beating stem cell heart [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2011]
- 056 Beating Human Heart Cells from Embryonic Stem Cells [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2011]
- 057 Spontaneously and rhythmically beating engineered human heart tissue from pluripotent stem cells [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2011]
- 058 Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy - How it works [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2011]
- 059 Doctors To Use 'Trained' Stem Cells To Heal Heart [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 060 Beating Heart Stem Cells [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2011]
- 061 AM RADIO, DR. AMIT PATEL AND STEM CELLS SAVED MY LIFE - Video [Last Updated On: October 14th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2011]
- 062 New heart built with stem cells - Video [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2011]
- 063 Adult Stem Cells For Heart Disease: Today's Reality - Video [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2011]
- 064 H9 beating stem cells - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- 065 Double Blind Trial of Stem Cells for Heart Failure - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- 066 Repairing Damaged Hearts with Stem Cells - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- 067 Cardiac differentiation of hES cells at 20x - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- 068 SPRAY-ON STEM CELLS - Video [Last Updated On: October 28th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 28th, 2011]
- 069 Stem Cells: A smart use for wisdom teeth - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2011]
- 070 VistaGen's Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2011]
- 071 Stem Cell Research [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2011]
- 072 The Power of Stem Cells - Video [Last Updated On: November 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 12th, 2011]
- 073 Beating iCellĀ® Cardiomyocytes - Video [Last Updated On: November 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 13th, 2011]
- 074 SCIPIO: Cardiac stem cells and postinfarction heart failure - Video [Last Updated On: November 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 15th, 2011]
- 075 Beating Cardiomyocytes in Cell Culture - Video [Last Updated On: November 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 15th, 2011]
- 076 Stem Cells Heal Heart Attack Damage. - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- 077 C2CAM - 2011.11.15 - Dulce Base - Regenerative Medicine - Info - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- 078 Latest Update on Stem Cell Research at UW - Dr. Timothy Kamp - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- 079 Coast To Coast AM: Regenerative Medicine / Dulce Base 11-15-2011 Download Link - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
- 080 C2CAM - 2011.11.15 - Dulce Base - Regenerative Medicine - Video [Last Updated On: December 7th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 7th, 2011]
