Major UK stem cell collaboration to tackle heart disease

The University of Sheffield's Centre for Stem Cell Biology (CSCB) and the Cardiovascular Research Unit (CVRU) have joined forces with Axordia and Lombard Medical Technologies to develop a next generation of treatment for coronary artery disease.

The two and a half year collaboration, which will be led by leading UK-based stem cell company Axordia, will develop the world's first regenerative coronary artery stent seeded with a novel human endovascular cell line derived from stem cells. Lombard Medical Technologies is a medical devices company that will provide the expertise in stents.

Coronary artery disease causes at least 6.9 million deaths worldwide each year and is the leading cause of premature death in the UK and Western World.

Stent implantation is now the most common intervention for the disease, but the present generation of drug-eluting stents generally use anti-healing approaches.This creates some potential problems, for example the need to take anti-thrombotic drugs for prolonged periods, and their long-term safety has recently been questioned.

The new regenerative stent developed by the consortium will be designed to combat these problems, as well as provide platform technologies with wider application in regenerative medicine.

The project will receive funding from both the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Medical Research Council (MRC).

Dr V Paul Gerskowitch, ceo of Axordia, said: "We are very pleased that the DTI and MRC have agreed to support this ground breaking programme. The treatment of cardiovascular disease represents a rapidly growing challenge for the future and the combination of stem cell science, surface technology and clinical research will provide a new paradigm in treatment."