ASCs in Recently Diagnosed Non-ischemic Heart Failure

Non-ischemic heart failure (NIHF) is the leading reason for heart transplantation. The disease can be caused by several different factors, which include genetic disposition, inflammation, hypertension, alcohol consumption, and arrhythmia. Regardless of the aetiology, immune activation in myocardium leads to collagen deposition and decreases the function of heart. There are currently no treatment options, which reverse the inflammatory component in NIHF.

For the past decade, cell therapy has been tested as treatment option for ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure. Especially the mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) has shown encouraging results for their potential to improve cardiac function in patients with non-ischemic heart failure along with its safety. The cardiac improvement may be related to the immunomodulation as MSC is known by its ability to modulate the immune system and has successfully been applied clinically as a novel active immunosuppressor.

We aim to conduct a clinical trial in which patients recently diagnosed with NIHF will be randomized to either treatment with two intravenous infusions of allogeneic MSCs obtained from adipose tissue (C2C\_ASC110) or placebo (Cryostor® CS10) 4 weeks apart. The objective is to evaluate the safety and effect of MSCs on cardiac function.

The long-term perspective is that the information gathered from this study can lead to a new treatment option for this specific group of patients, who currently have no further treatment options and a poor prognosis.