A baby named Finley was born with a congenital heart defect and is the first recorded case to receive stem cell injections to mend his heart following surgery. The boy is now 2 years old and completely healthy. Medical experts hope to develop a perfect stem cell treatment to heal the hearts of many more children in the future.
Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect, affecting about 1% of children born in the United States as well as many children worldwide. Baby Finley was born with a birth defect known as “transposition of the great arteries”, meaning the two primary arteries that carry blood away from his heart were in the wrong position.
Finley underwent open-heart surgery just 4 days after birth to reposition the arteries. However, complications arose after the 12-hour surgery, and as Finley’s heart function worsened, he required ongoing treatment in the intensive care unit. After several weeks, experts suggested that Finley’s parents consider another option: injecting stem cells directly into his heart.
The lucky baby treated for heart disease with stem cells.
Although doctors warned that they could not guarantee the outcome, Finley’s parents had no other choice; they had to do everything possible to give Finley a chance at life.
Professor Caputo developed a type of “stem cell patch” or patches containing donated stem cells that can be sutured into the heart during surgery. Theoretically, these patches would not need to be replaced frequently as the child grows, reducing or eliminating the need for repeated open-heart surgeries.
Caputo stated: “We are trying to create living tissue, whether it’s a valve, blood vessel, or patch, that will grow with the child and not deteriorate.” These patches have been shown to be safe in animals, and Caputo aims to conduct human clinical trials within two years.
Finley received stem cells from a donor and was injected with stem cells during a second open-heart surgery. About two weeks after the stem cell treatment, the boy’s health gradually stabilized. Finley has undergone a transformation following the stem cell treatment and now has the opportunity to live a healthy life in the months ahead.