A group from Kyushu University and Osaka University announced that they performed an operation to transplant a ``cardiomyocyte sheet'' made from iPS cells into a sheet of heart muscle cells to a patient with heart disease.


This is the second surgery to be performed outside of Osaka University, where the sheet was developed.

This was announced at a press conference by Kyushu University and Osaka University on the 14th.



According to this, in the middle of last month, at Kyushu University, a "cardiomyocyte sheet", in which heart muscle cells were created from iPS cells and cultured in a sheet, was placed on the surface of the heart of a man in his 50s with a serious heart disease called ischemic cardiomyopathy. It is said that surgery was performed to paste and transplant.



The cardiomyocyte sheet was developed by groups such as Osaka University, and was made at a facility in Osaka and transported to Kyushu University.



The patient's postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged on the 14th.



Osaka University and others have been conducting clinical trials of sheet transplantation at Juntendo University in Tokyo in addition to Osaka University, and are planning to operate on a total of eight patients.



In the future, if we can confirm the safety and efficacy of the patient's progress, we would like to apply to the government for approval as a general treatment method covered by insurance.



Professor Akira Shiose of Kyushu University said, "I'm glad that I was able to confirm that the operation can be safely performed at Kyushu University, which is the base for heart disease treatment in the region."



In addition, Professor Yoshiki Sawa of Osaka University said, "I would like to proceed with confirmation of safety and efficacy so that it can be delivered to many patients."

What is a “cardiomyocyte sheet”?

"Cardiomyocyte sheet" is a sheet of 0.1 mm thickness that is made by creating heart muscle cells from iPS cells and culturing them.



The sheets are several centimeters in diameter, and three sheets used for one transplant contain about 100 million cardiomyocytes.



Even in the sheet state, it beats like the heart, and in surgery, three sheets of this sheet are attached directly to the left ventricle, which plays a role in pumping blood throughout the body, and then transplanted.



A group led by specially appointed professor Yoshiki Sawa of Osaka University is conducting research into recovering the force of contraction of the heart by attaching this sheet directly to the heart of patients with severe heart disease. We are investigating the efficacy and efficacy.

Patients who underwent cardiomyocyte sheet transplant surgery

This time, at Kyushu University, a man in his 50s living in Yamaguchi Prefecture underwent surgery to transplant a "cardiomyocyte sheet" made from iPS cells.



The man suffered a myocardial infarction 17 years ago, and was later diagnosed with ischemic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which blood flow to his heart's arteries deteriorated, preventing it from pumping blood well throughout the body.



He said he has been treated with surgery and drugs, but his symptoms have not improved.



Under such circumstances, he learned that there was a clinical trial this time and decided to participate.



The man said, ``I wasn't without anxiety before the surgery, but I think that participating in the clinical trial will lead to the future of patients who suffer from the same disease. I think it's good," he said.

Cell transplantation of organs and tissues made from iPS cells Current status

Universities and research institutes around the world are carrying out clinical research and trials in which cells from various organs and tissues made from iPS cells are transplanted into patients.



[Cardiac treatment]


Of these, with regard to heart cells, a group from Osaka University transplanted "cardiomyocyte sheets," which are sheet-like cultures of heart muscle cells made from iPS cells, into the hearts of patients with severe heart disease. I had my first surgery three years ago.


Surgery is being conducted as a clinical trial to confirm the safety and efficacy with the aim of becoming a common treatment in the future.



Also, in December last year, a medical venture company established by researchers at Keio University conducted an operation in which heart muscle cells made from iPS cells were processed into spheres and injected into the heart of a patient with severe heart disease. I was.


This is also being conducted as a clinical trial, and in addition to confirming safety and efficacy in the future, Keio University is also preparing for clinical research.



[Eye treatment] The


first clinical research in the world to transplant tissues made from iPS cells was conducted by a group such as the RIKEN in Kobe City, and in 2014, a serious eye disease called "age-related macular degeneration" transplanted eye retinal tissue made from iPS cells into a patient.



Since then, clinical research has been conducted on patients with other eye diseases at the Kobe Municipal Eye Center Hospital.



In 2019, a group at Osaka University conducted clinical research on corneal tissue made from iPS cells and transplanted into sheets for patients with severe corneal diseases. announced that it was



[Nerve treatment]


Research is also being conducted on treatment methods that aim to regenerate nerves.



Since 2018, a group at Kyoto University has been conducting clinical trials to transplant nerve-generating cells made from iPS cells into the brains of Parkinson's disease patients, aiming for approval as a new treatment method.



In addition, a group at Keio University is conducting clinical research on transplanting nerve-generating cells made from iPS cells to patients with spinal cord injuries. We are also carrying out a second transplant.



[Blood treatment]


In 2019, a group at Kyoto University conducted a clinical study of administering platelets made from iPS cells to patients with "aplastic anemia", an intractable disease in which platelets are low, and safety was confirmed last year. announced.



In addition, a Kyoto bio-venture company founded by the same researcher has been conducting clinical trials since last year to administer platelets made from iPS cells to patients with thrombocytopenia, a condition in which the number of platelets required to stop bleeding is low. .



[NKT cells]


Three years ago, a group of RIKEN and Chiba University transplanted natural killer T cells, a type of immune cell made from iPS cells, into patients with head and neck cancer, and used iPS cells to treat cancer. I am doing my first clinical trial.