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Innovative research reveals that a blood cell growth factor, commonly used in cancer treatment, shows promise in enhancing exercise outcomes for individuals with peripheral artery disease (PAD). This groundbreaking study, presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Dallas, was conducted by a team from Emory University School of Medicine.
The focus was on evaluating the potential of GM-CSF (granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor) in repairing blood vessels impaired by atherosclerosis. In PAD, patients experience reduced blood flow to the legs during exercise, leading to limited mobility and post-exertion pain. The study's key metric was the duration patients could walk on a treadmill, assessed two months following a four-week regimen of GM-CSF injections or a placebo.
Arshed Quyyumi, MD, professor of medicine at Emory University and co-director of the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, reported a notable, though modest, improvement in treadmill endurance in those treated with GM-CSF compared to the placebo group. Particularly promising was the observation that patients with higher levels of blood progenitor cells showed greater increases in maximum walking time. This finding suggests that adjusting GM-CSF dosage and treatment duration might further optimize its therapeutic impact, warranting further exploration.
Initially, participants in both study groups could walk for about five minutes on a treadmill. Those receiving GM-CSF, on average, extended their maximum walking time by nearly a minute more than the placebo group. This increase, while not statistically significant, is notable.
Participants, across both GM-CSF and placebo groups, were encouraged to walk frequently. Both groups exhibited enhanced walking capabilities, with a 30% improvement in the GM-CSF group versus a 21% increase in the placebo group. The phase II study involved 159 patients from Emory-affiliated medical centers between 2010 and 2012.
GM-CSF is believed to work by mobilizing progenitor cells from bone marrow to aid in vascular lining regeneration. The study noted variability in individual responses to GM-CSF. Some patients experienced significant increases in progenitor cells and correspondingly greater improvements in walking ability, with some in this subset extending their treadmill times by over two minutes.
However, the overall response to GM-CSF in PAD patients was less pronounced than in healthy individuals, potentially due to the impacts of poor health and atherosclerosis on bone marrow health. Importantly, participants with recent severe cardiac events were excluded from the study. The average age of participants was 64, with 37% having diabetes. Intriguingly, neither age nor diabetes status appeared to influence response to GM-CSF, highlighting its potential applicability across a diverse patient demographic.
The focus was on evaluating the potential of GM-CSF (granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor) in repairing blood vessels impaired by atherosclerosis. In PAD, patients experience reduced blood flow to the legs during exercise, leading to limited mobility and post-exertion pain. The study's key metric was the duration patients could walk on a treadmill, assessed two months following a four-week regimen of GM-CSF injections or a placebo.
Arshed Quyyumi, MD, professor of medicine at Emory University and co-director of the Emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute, reported a notable, though modest, improvement in treadmill endurance in those treated with GM-CSF compared to the placebo group. Particularly promising was the observation that patients with higher levels of blood progenitor cells showed greater increases in maximum walking time. This finding suggests that adjusting GM-CSF dosage and treatment duration might further optimize its therapeutic impact, warranting further exploration.
Initially, participants in both study groups could walk for about five minutes on a treadmill. Those receiving GM-CSF, on average, extended their maximum walking time by nearly a minute more than the placebo group. This increase, while not statistically significant, is notable.
Participants, across both GM-CSF and placebo groups, were encouraged to walk frequently. Both groups exhibited enhanced walking capabilities, with a 30% improvement in the GM-CSF group versus a 21% increase in the placebo group. The phase II study involved 159 patients from Emory-affiliated medical centers between 2010 and 2012.
GM-CSF is believed to work by mobilizing progenitor cells from bone marrow to aid in vascular lining regeneration. The study noted variability in individual responses to GM-CSF. Some patients experienced significant increases in progenitor cells and correspondingly greater improvements in walking ability, with some in this subset extending their treadmill times by over two minutes.
However, the overall response to GM-CSF in PAD patients was less pronounced than in healthy individuals, potentially due to the impacts of poor health and atherosclerosis on bone marrow health. Importantly, participants with recent severe cardiac events were excluded from the study. The average age of participants was 64, with 37% having diabetes. Intriguingly, neither age nor diabetes status appeared to influence response to GM-CSF, highlighting its potential applicability across a diverse patient demographic.
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