Diagnosed with Heart Failure and Out of Options? Discover Innovative Research at the Texas Heart Institute. The Stem Cell Center of the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas is actively recruiting patients for FDA-approved clinical studies investigating the use of adult stem cells in treating heart failure.
Heart failure occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. It usually results from countless heart attacks as a result of blockages in the arteries that feed the heart.
Inclusion Criteria
The Stem Cell Center has pioneered stem cell research in patients with heart failure and is actively enrolling patients who:
- are on maximal medical therapy.
- have a low ejection fraction.
- have exhausted all conventional therapy (i.e., bypass surgery and angioplasty).
Many factors are considered before enrolling patients into a research study and enrollment varies according to inclusion criteria.
Patients on heart transplant lists can be considered for these studies.
Important Considerations
If you are a patient or physician referring a patient interested in entry into a research protocol there are a few important considerations:
- The primary concern for any investigation must be the safety of all participants.
- The Stem Cell Center conducts clinical trials in strict accordance with protocols which have been approved by institutional governing agencies including the FDA, and St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Institutional Review Board.
- The Stem Cell Center is dedicated to conducting relevant, well designed, and safe clinical studies. The protocols, therefore, are very strict and no exceptions can be made regarding the criteria that are used to include or exclude patients.
- Patients are not given monetary compensation for enrollment into the different studies. Once enrolled in the trial, patients are not charged for any therapy or monitoring that is directly related to the research.
For More Information
If you are a Patient and wish to be considered for enrollment in a Heart Failure Trial, please call us toll free at 1-866-924-STEM (7836) or complete our secure online Patient Information Form.
If you are a Physician and would like to refer a patient for consideration, please contact a study coordinator at 832-355-9405.
Principal Investigator
Emerson C. Perin, MD, PhD
Director, Clinical Research for Cardiovascular Medicine
Medical Director, Stem Cell Center
Contact Information
Internet: www.texasheart.org/stemcell
Email: stemcell@heart.thi.tmc.edu
Toll free: 1-866-924-STEM (7836)
Phone: 832-355-9405
Fax: 832-355-9440
Updated May 2009
