Helping the HLHS Heart Grow Stronger

Mar 29, 2016 | Suzanne Ferguson | @suzannerferguson

Our main goal at the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome is to delay and even prevent heart transplants for people with congenital heart defects. Determining what works best for individuals wouldn’t be possible without HLHS patients and family members participating in the research. Without people like you, we wouldn’t be able to change the future. That being said, we are excited to announce a new clinical trial using bone marrow cells and highlight another clinical trial taking place using umbilical cord blood. Our new clinical trial allows us to use bone marrow cells from an individual’s own body to be reprogrammed as concentrated stem cells. These stem cells are then reinserted back into the heart where they act like fertilizers to stimulate new growth in the heart muscle. This study is for older HLHS patients.

For our younger HLHS patients, we are collecting umbilical cord blood during birth and then processing the cells to be used for future uses including being inserted directly into the heart during the Glenn Procedure. These cells will also act like a fertilizer to stimulate new growth in the heart to make it stronger.

In the video below, we explain in the differences between the clinical trials and how stem cells can help those with HLHS.

Do you have questions or are you interested in our research? Email us at HLHS@mayo.edu.

The Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) is a collaborative network of specialists bonded by the vision of delaying or preventing heart failure for individuals affected by congenital heart defects including HLHS. The specialized team is addressing the various aspects of these defects by using research and clinical strategies ranging from basic science, to diagnostic imaging to regenerative therapies.