Estonia develops cell therapy that helps patients avoid leg amputation
Estonian scientists have created a cell therapy using stem cells from patients' own fat tissue to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels and prevent amputation in patients with severe vascular calcification. The therapy has been applied to 13 patients, with some avoiding major amputation.
When all conventional treatment options are exhausted, Estonian doctors and researchers offer an innovative solution: a cell therapy that encourages the body to grow new blood vessels.
The basis of this therapy is fat tissue, which contains a thousand times more stem cells than bone marrow. The first such operation in Estonia took place in 2013, when stem cells from a patient's fat were used to restore hand function after a burn. Now the approach has been adapted for leg vascular diseases.
The therapy begins with harvesting fat tissue from the patient. It is then sent to a laboratory, where stem cells are isolated and activated using specialized technology. The prepared cells are injected into the affected leg to stimulate the formation of new blood vessels. The treatment is only available when all other options have been exhausted.
So far, 13 patients have received the therapy, all suffering from rest pain, and about half had ulcers or gangrene. Although amputation could not be completely avoided in two patients, it was below the knee, allowing them to walk with a prosthesis. Almost all patients experienced pain relief after the therapy.
Researchers have also documented the formation of new blood vessels – in one patient, a vessel the size of a main artery developed after treatment. This indicates that the therapy truly triggers new vessel growth.
In the future, researchers hope that people will be able to store their own fat tissue as a personal stem cell reserve for future use.
