While We Produce, We Learn about Stem Cells

With so much in the air about stem cell research, who knew that it has gotten to the level where a heart failure patient could be helped with significant results using stem cells therapy. The interesting thing in this interview between Dr. Alan Gaveck and Paul Bogaardt from Heart Stem is the obvious comradery between the two like they have been anchoring a prime time panel show for years. Their natural camera-ready smiles, professionalism and articulate nature was like watching a well-rehearsed scene from a movie that had months of preparation. Hardly a miss in between the smooth conversation of the research Paul has been doing in IRB’s and a story he had about a patient and the effect stem cell therapy had on her.

The fact is, this was the first time they had ever been in this type of setting, talking and sharing ideas and stories about what each had been experiencing in the last few months.

Dr. Gaveck asked Paul to share a story that was memorable to him and he began to tell an amazing story of an 82 year old woman who was showing signs of heart failure, so much that she could not ambulate to the mail box, much less go on a preplanned trip to Japan.

Paul began to tell the story about her background and how they carefully screened her and then suggested stem cell therapy as he went into even the technicalities of IRB’s and what is termed the end point criteria in this case what she had as an injection fraction. It was certain that stem cell therapy could possibly be helpful in treating her. So began the treatment, and even after the first week, she showed significant improvement she made her trip to Japan, and then after 3 months, she had walked 7 miles in one day!

Even as Paul was describing the results, you could see both men light up at the improvement to that degree in someone who at her age and condition now has a better quality of life.

Would be nice to see the these two again. Their chemistry is great and they are a wealth of knowledge in what they are both doing in cellular regenerative medicine.