Congenital Heart Disease

It is also known as congenital heart anomaly which is a problem in the structure of the heart that is present at birth. Every year in India, around 78,000 infants die of congenital heart disease.

In a study conducted, the cord blood stem cells were seeded onto biodegradable heart valve scaffolds and grown in the laboratory. The cells formed a tissue layer around the scaffolding and further tests showed the engineered cells formed viable heart tissue. When their ability to handle blood flow and pressure were tested, the valves created from cord blood stem cells showed capabilities similar to natural heart valves.

In 2009, Rupp et al. reported a case of cell therapy in an 11-month-old boy with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The boy was in a critical condition with BNP level (an indicator of heart failure) of 2200 pg/mL which ideally should be around 100 pg/mL. One year after the cell therapy, his clinical condition had improved dramatically, his BNP level had decreased to 132 pg/mL and his right ventricular ejection fraction had improved to 44%.