Protein Growth Factor Doesn’t Fix Hearts

Researchers said Tuesday that a growth factor protein that sparks mobilization of stem cells doesn’t repair hearts.

Scientists in Munich, Germany, focused on a particular growth factor protein known as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, or G-CSF, which is known to induce mobilization of bone marrow stem cells.

The researchers based their research on the fact that bone marrow stem cells have been shown in previous studies to repair damaged heart tissue and help grow new blood vessels.

They tested treatment using G-CSF in 114 patients with heart attack damage who had undergone cardiac intervention within 12 hours of heart attack symptoms.

The researchers found that G-CSF — which was compared in the study to placebo — did cause significant mobilization of bone marrow stem cells as expected, but did not improve left ventricular recovery in patients with acute myocardial infarction (heart attack)who had undergone surgical intervention to restore blood flow, the researchers said.

They noted that G-CSF did not alter the area size of heart tissue damage nor affect the left ventricular function after a heart attack.

However, in contrast to other studies, no increase in the risk of restenosis — the re-narrowing of an artery after treatment — or major adverse cardiac events were observed with G-CSF treatment, they said.

The study — dubbed REVIVAL-2 — was larger than three previous studies of G-CSF therapy and had a relatively long follow-up period, the researchers noted.