Bodo-Eckehard Strauer

Last updated

Professor Bodo-Eckehard Strauer (born 16 January 1943) is a German cardiologist who has made award-winning contributions to cardiovascular science including pivotal reports that transfusions of patients' own bone marrow cells into the coronary arteries can increase the pumping efficacy of a weak heart. These landmark publications [1] have been the basis for the new field of autologous bone marrow stem cell therapy for heart disease. In a press statement on 24 February 2014, his institution reported that it had found "evidence of scientific misconduct", and that it had sent a report "to the city’s public prosecutors".

Contents

Life

He received his doctorate in 1966 and his habilitation in 1973. He began as senior physician at the Klinikum Großhadern. In 1984 he became Head of Department of Internal Medicine-Cardiology at the University of Marburg. Later he became director of the Department of Cardiology, Pneumology and Angiology of the University Hospital of Düsseldorf. In February 2009, he stopped clinical work in Düsseldorf but continued his academic work there and started active collaborative research with the University of Rostock. [2]

Cardiac stem cell therapy

While his early research was into hypertensive heart disease, his notable contributions were his novel approach [3] to improving cardiac function by bone-marrow derived stem cell treatment involving injections into the coronary arteries with consistent large favorable effects. [4]

His laboratory has led the field, [5] reporting strongly positive effects in every heart condition studied. The burgeoning scientific arena of cardiac stem cell therapeutics, with research programs in dozens of university hospitals, and commercial products from a variety of newly constructed corporations, is based on his pioneering methods and progressively broadening breakthroughs since 2001.

In December 2012, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported [6] concerns that the research he published may have inconsistencies. The University Hospital of Düsseldorf conducted an investigation in mid-2012 but no results have been revealed.

In June 2013, many of the impressive reports from the group were alleged to be in breach of the laws of arithmetic. [7] [8] Dr Strauer replied through his lawyer that the majority of the several hundred discrepancies were minor and had been corrected. [9] Over 200 factual contradictions remain [8] in the unretracted publications from the group, with one widely cited publication having such a large number of impossible features that it is now used a test of observational skill. [10] The field has been labelled by the editor of the parent journal as a "fraud scandal". [11]

In February 2014, the journal Nature [12] reported that a university investigation committee in Düsseldorf had "found evidence of scientific misconduct in papers reporting the trials’ findings". It continued, "The university has referred the committee’s report to an internal disciplinary procedure, which is not expected to draw a conclusion until next year. In the meantime the university is providing no further public information about the nature of the misconduct — nor the outcome of a parallel investigation into the whether clinical trials involving 537 patients complied with rules of Good Clinical Practice and the provisions of the German Medicines Act. But Benedikt Pannen, acting CEO of the University Hospital in Düsseldorf, says that the report of the clinical investigation had been sent to the city’s public prosecutors."

Awards for Scientific Discoveries

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stem cell</span> Undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells

In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can differentiate into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type of cell in a cell lineage. They are found in both embryonic and adult organisms, but they have slightly different properties in each. They are usually distinguished from progenitor cells, which cannot divide indefinitely, and precursor or blast cells, which are usually committed to differentiating into one cell type.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation</span> Medical procedure to replace blood or immune stem cells

Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood in order to replicate inside of a patient and to produce additional normal blood cells. It may be autologous, allogeneic or syngeneic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypoplastic left heart syndrome</span> Type of congenital heart defect

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a rare congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped and incapable of supporting the systemic circulation. It is estimated to account for 2-3% of all congenital heart disease. Early signs and symptoms include poor feeding, cyanosis, and diminished pulse in the extremities. The etiology is believed to be multifactorial resulting from a combination of genetic mutations and defects resulting in altered blood flow in the heart. Several structures can be affected including the left ventricle, aorta, aortic valve, or mitral valve all resulting in decreased systemic blood flow.

Stephen E. Epstein is the Head of Translational and Vascular Biology Research at the MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cell therapy</span> Therapy in which cellular material is injected into a patient

Cell therapy is a therapy in which viable cells are injected, grafted or implanted into a patient in order to effectuate a medicinal effect, for example, by transplanting T-cells capable of fighting cancer cells via cell-mediated immunity in the course of immunotherapy, or grafting stem cells to regenerate diseased tissues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adult stem cell</span> Multipotent stem cell in the adult body

Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells, found throughout the body after development, that multiply by cell division to replenish dying cells and regenerate damaged tissues. Also known as somatic stem cells, they can be found in juvenile, adult animals, and humans, unlike embryonic stem cells.

Stem-cell therapy is the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition. As of 2016, the only established therapy using stem cells is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This usually takes the form of a bone-marrow transplantation, but the cells can also be derived from umbilical cord blood. Research is underway to develop various sources for stem cells as well as to apply stem-cell treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Cardiomyoplasty is a surgical procedure in which healthy muscle from another part of the body is wrapped around the heart to provide support for the failing heart. Most often the latissimus dorsi muscle is used for this purpose. A special pacemaker is implanted to make the skeletal muscle contract. If cardiomyoplasty is successful and increased cardiac output is achieved, it usually acts as a bridging therapy, giving time for damaged myocardium to be treated in other ways, such as remodeling by cellular therapies.

Alan W. Heldman is an American interventional cardiologist. Heldman graduated from Harvard College, University of Alabama School of Medicine, and completed residency and fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He held positions on the faculty of Johns Hopkins from 1995 to 2007. In 2007, he became clinical chief of cardiology at the University of Miami's Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.

Autologous stem-cell transplantation is the autologous transplantation of stem cells—that is, transplantation in which stem cells are removed from a person, stored, and later given back to that same person.

In cardiology neocardiogenesis is the homeostatic regeneration, repair and renewal of sections of malfunctioning adult cardiovascular tissue. This includes a combination of cardiomyogenesis and angiogenesis.

Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN) is a network of physicians, scientists, and support staff dedicated to studying stem cell therapy for treating heart disease. The CCTRN is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and includes expert researchers with experience in cardiovascular care at seven stem cell centers in the United States. The goals of the Network are to complete research studies that will potentially lead to more effective treatments for patients with cardiovascular disease, and to share knowledge quickly with the healthcare community.

Cellular cardiomyoplasty, or cell-based cardiac repair, is a new potential therapeutic modality in which progenitor cells are used to repair regions of damaged or necrotic myocardium. The ability of transplanted progenitor cells to improve function within the failing heart has been shown in experimental animal models and in some human clinical trials. In November 2011, a large group of collaborators at Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation at Abbott Northwestern found no significant difference in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) or other markers, between a group of patients treated with cellular cardiomyoplasty and a group of control patients. In this study, all patients were post MI, post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and that infusion of progenitor cells occurred 2–3 weeks after intervention. In a study that is currently underway, however, more positive results were being reported: In the SCIPIO trial, patients treated with autologous cardiac stem cells post MI have been reported to be showing statistically significant increases in LVEF and reduction in infarct size over the control group at four months after implant. Positive results at the one-year mark are even more pronounced. Yet the SCIPIO trial "was recently called into question". Harvard University is "now investigating the integrity of some of the data". The Lancet recently published a non-specific ‘Expression of concern’ about the paper. Subsequently, another preclinical study also raised doubts on the rationale behind using this special kind of cell, as it was found that the special cells only have a minimal ability in generating new cardiomyocytes. Some specialists therefore now raise concerns to continue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caladrius Biosciences</span> Biopharmaceutical company in New Jersey, United States

Caladrius Biosciences is an American biopharmaceutical company active in the field of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, particularly of cardiovascular disease.

High-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant (HDC/BMT), also high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplant, was an ineffective treatment regimen for metastatic breast cancer, and later high-risk breast cancer, that was considered promising during the 1980s and 1990s. With an overall idea that more is better, this process involved taking cells from the person's bone marrow to store in a lab, then to give such high doses of chemotherapy drugs that the remaining bone marrow was destroyed, and then to inject the cells taken earlier back into the body as replacement. It was ultimately determined to be no more effective than normal treatment, and to have significantly higher side effects, including treatment-related death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yaariv Khaykin</span> Canadian cardiologist

Yaariv Khaykin is a Canadian cardiologist and a clinical researcher in the area of electrophysiology. He is the director of the Newmarket Electrophysiology Research Group at the Southlake Regional Health Centre. He has published research into complex ablation and pioneered cardiac ablation methods.

Annarosa Leri is a medical doctor and former associate professor at Harvard University. Along with former professor Piero Anversa, Leri was engaged in biomedical research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Since at least 2003 Anversa and Leri had investigated the ability of the heart to regenerate damaged cells using cardiac stem cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ischemic cardiomyopathy</span> Medical condition

Ischemic cardiomyopathy is a type of cardiomyopathy caused by a narrowing of the coronary arteries which supply blood to the heart. Typically, patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy have a history of acute myocardial infarction, however, it may occur in patients with coronary artery disease, but without a past history of acute myocardial infarction. This cardiomyopathy is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death. The adjective ischemic means characteristic of, or accompanied by, ischemia — local anemia due to mechanical obstruction of the blood supply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Axel Haverich</span> German cardiac surgeon

Axel Haverich is a German cardiac surgeon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frits Prinzen</span>

Frits F.W. Prinzen is an expert on cardiac pacing therapies, both for bradycardia and for heart failure.

References

  1. ↑ Strauer, BE; Kornowski, R (Feb 25, 2003). "Stem cell therapy in perspective". Circulation. 107 (7): 929–34. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000057525.13182.24 . PMID   12600901.
  2. ↑ Donndorf, P; Strauer, BE; Haverich, A; Steinhoff, G (Jan 2013). "Stem cell therapy for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction and chronic ischemic heart disease". Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. 14 (1): 12–9. doi:10.2174/1389201011314010004. PMID   23092255.
  3. ↑ Strauer, Bodo; Brehm M.; Zeus T (2002). "Repair of infarcted myocardium by autologous intracoronary mononuclear bone marrow cell transplantation in humans". Circulation. 106 (15): 1913–1918. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000034046.87607.1C . PMID   12370212.
  4. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2013-05-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ↑ Boyle, AJ; Schulman, SP; Hare, JM; Oettgen, P (Jul 25, 2006). "Is stem cell therapy ready for patients? Stem Cell Therapy for Cardiac Repair. Ready for the Next Step ". Circulation. 114 (4): 339–52. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.590653 . PMID   16864739.
  6. ↑ Süddeutsche.de GmbH, Munich, Germany (2012). "Süddeutsche Zeitung: Fälschungsvorwürfe gegen bekannten Stammzellforscher, from 3 December 2012". Sueddeutsche.de.
  7. ↑ Husten, Larry (2013-07-02). "Paper raises hundreds of questions". Forbes. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  8. 1 2 Int J Cardiol (2013). "Autologous bone marrow-derived stem cell therapy in heart disease: Discrepancies and contradictions". International Journal of Cardiology. 168 (4): 3381–3403. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2013.04.152. PMID   23830344.
  9. ↑ Abbott, Alison (July 2013). "German cardiologist's stem-cell papers attacked". Nature News blog. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  10. ↑ European Journal of Heart Failure. "DOH test" (PDF).
  11. ↑ Lüscher, TF (2013). "The bumpy road to evidence: why many research findings are lost in translation". European Heart Journal. 34 (43): 3329–35. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/eht396 . PMID   24092246.
  12. ↑ Abbott, Alison. "Evidence of misconduct found against cardiologist". Nature. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  13. ↑ Paul Martini Foundation. "Paul Martini Foundation / Paul Martini Prize / Prize Winners since 1969". Paul-martini-stiftung.de. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  14. ↑ Frerichs, Theodor (2019-02-13). "Theodor Frerich Prize". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.