The Philadelphia Biological and Medical Technology Product Development Centre in Amman, Jordan has made a major medical breakthrough in the treatment of potentially life-threatening, heart-related aliments.

According to Peggy Farley, managing director of the General Partner and co-founder of Ascent Medical Technology Funds, the pre-clinical study involved the use of human Adipose-Derived Stem Cell (hADSC) therapy, which is used for treating patients who have suffered from a heart attack.

The study, led by Dr Mahmoud Abu-Abeeleh, assistant professor of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Jordan, School of Medicine and spearheaded by Bioheart Inc, was completed (in September 2008) at the Philadelphia Biological and Medical Technology Product Development Centre in Amman.

Farley said that study results have revealed evidence of efficient regeneration from hADSCs following an Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), or a heart attack, as it is more commonly known.

Dr Abu-Abeeleh said that the study data have suggested hADSCs contribute to the improvement in cardiac histological appearance after a heart attack by having cells within the infarction areas expressing structures of functional (myocardial) cells.

'This study reveals significant results which add to the growing body of investigational evidence supporting the use of hADSCs for the treatment of heart failure. It opens the door to further studies using Bioheart's Tissue Genesis, Incorporated  (TGI) System in clinical therapy and preclinical work with adipose-derived stem cells.'

He said that the hADSCs used for the study were taken from humans using Bioheart’s TGI System for collection of endothelial progenitor cells and stem cells from adipose (fat) tissue. These cells were then injected into the myocardium of nude rats  which followed a series of studies and evaluations over 10 to 60 days.

Meanwhile, Howard J Leonhardt, Bioheart CEO and chief technology officer agreed that the continued progress displayed by Bioheart's TGI System was a significant step.

'These preclinical studies should allow us to obtain an IND approval for the start of a human clinical trial whereby these cells are put to use in patients soon after they have a heart attack.'

Ascent's Medical Technology Fund II helped financed the development of the BioMed Centre which was established to bring a medical technology development and manufacturing infrastructure to the Middle East.

The Centre's operations meet with the requirements of the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the European authorities for preclinical and clinical testing of innovative medical products.

The BioMed Centre is also able to test medical innovations emanating from around the world, including the Middle East, to ensure that they meet the highest international standards.

The Centre currently works closely with associate centres of excellence such as the University of Jordan, Jordan University for Science and Technology, a number of Jordan’s hospitals and Jordan’s Royal Scientific Society.

Farley said that the Philadelphia BioMed Product Development Centre is in fact the only one worldwide to enable preclinical evaluation, full-service clinical research, core lab facilities, as well as cell engineering and culturing.

'With this recent breakthrough we have in fact taken the first step towards widespread product development initiatives, which can only be good for healthcare, worldwide,' Farley concluded. - TradeArabia News Service