Methods for improving cell therapy and tissue regeneration in patients with cardiovascular and neurological diseases by means of shockwaves

Abstract

Improving cell therapy and tissue regeneration in a patient suffering from a cardiovascular or a neurological disease by treating a tissue of the patient with shock waves and/or applying to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of stem cells and/or progenitor cells. Such treatment increases expression of chemoattractants, pro-angiogenic factors, and pro-survival factors. The chemoattractants can be, for example, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or stromal cell derived factor 1 (SDF-1). For example, the treated tissue can be located in the patient's heart or in a skeletal muscle of the patient, and the shock waves can be extracorporeal shock waves (ESW) or intracorporeal shock waves. The cardiovascular disease can have an ischemic or non-ischemic etiology. For example, the cardiovascular disease can be a myocardial infarction, ischemic cardiomyopathy, or a dilatative cardiomyopathy. For example, the neurological disease can be a peripheral neuropathy or neuropathic pain.

1 . A method for improving cell therapy in a patient suffering from at least one of a cardiovascular disease and a neurological disease, comprising the step of treating a tissue of the patient affected by the at least one of the cardiovascular disease and the neurological disease with shock waves, wherein the tissue is targeted for cell therapy.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient is affected by the cardiovascular disease.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cardiovascular disease has one of a non-ischemic etiology and an ischemic etiology.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the cardiovascular disease is one of a myocardial infarction, an ischemic cardiomyopathy, and a dilatative cardiomyopathy.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the patient is affected by the neurological disease.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the neurological disease is one of a peripheral neuropathy and a neuropathic pain.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue is located in one of the patient's heart and a skeletal muscle of the patient.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of inducing an expression of at least one chemoattractant factor in the tissue.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one chemoattractant factor comprises one of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal cell derived factor 1 (SDF-1).  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shock waves comprise extracorporeal shock waves.  
     
     
         11 . A method for improving the tissue regeneration in a patient suffering from at least one of a cardiovascular disease and a neurological disease, comprising the steps of: 
 treating a tissue of the patient affected by the at least one of the cardiovascular disease and the neurological disease with shock waves; and    applying to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of at least one of stem cells and progenitor cells.    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the patient is affected by the cardiovascular disease.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the cardiovascular disease has one of a non-ischemic etiology and an ischemic etiology.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the cardiovascular disease is one of a myocardial infarction, an ischemic cardiomyopathy, and a dilatative cardiomyopathy.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the patient is affected by the neurological disease.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the neurological disease is one of a peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the tissue is located in one of the patient's heart and a skeletal muscle of the patient.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of affecting an expression of at least one chemoattractant factor in the tissue.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one chemoattractant factor comprises one of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal cell derived factor 1 (SDF-1).  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the shock waves comprise extracorporeal shock waves.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells comprise at least one of embryonic and umbrial cord-blood derived cells.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells comprise adult cells.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells are derived from a source selected from at least one of bone marrow, peripheral blood, and organs.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of applying the therapeutically effective amount of the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells comprises the step of applying the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells by one of sytemic infusion, local arterial infusion, venous infusion, and direct injection into the tissue.  
     
     
         25 . A method for treating at least one of a cardiovascular disease and a neurological disease in a patient, comprising the steps of: 
 treating a tissue of the patient affected by the at least one of the cardiovascular disease and the neurological disease by means of shock waves; and    applying to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of at least one of stem cells and progenitor cells.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the patient is affected by the cardiovascular disease.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the cardiovascular disease has one of a non-ischemic etiology and an ischemic etiology.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the cardiovascular disease is one of a myocardial infarction, an ischemic cardiomyopathy, and a dilatative cardiomyopathy.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the patient is affected by the neurological disease.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the neurological disease is one of a peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the tissue is located in one of the patient's heart and a skeletal muscle of the patient.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising the step of inducing an expression of at least one chemoattractant factor in the tissue.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one chemoattractant factor comprises at least one of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal cell derived factor 1 (SDF-1).  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the shock waves comprise extracorporeal shock waves.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells comprise at least one of embryonic and umbrial cord-blood derived cells.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells comprise adult cells.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells are derived from a source selected from at least one of bone marrow, peripheral blood, and organs.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the step of applying the therapeutically effective amount of the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells comprises the step of applying the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells by one of sytemic infusion, local arterial infusion, venous infusion, and direct injection into the tissue.  
     
     
         39 . A method of using at least one of stem cells and progenitor cells for preparing a pharmaceutical composition for treating a patient suffering from at least one of a cardiovascular disease and a neurological disease, comprising the steps of: 
 subjecting a tissue of the patient suffering from the at least one of the cardiovascular disease and the neurological disease to a treatment with shock waves; and    applying to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells.    
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the patient is suffering from the cardiovascular disease.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the cardiovascular disease has one of a non-ischemic etiology and an ischemic etiology.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the cardiovascular disease is one of a myocardial infarction, an ischemic cardiomyopathy, and a dilatative cardiomyopathy.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the patient is suffering from the neurological disease.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the neurological disease is one of a peripheral neuropathy and a neuropathic pain.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the tissue is located in one of the patient's heart and a skeletal muscle of the patient.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising the step of inducing the expression of at least one chemoattractant factor in the tissue.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the at least one chemoattractant factor is one of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal cell derived factor 1 (SDF-1).  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the shock waves comprise extracorporeal shock waves.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells comprise at least one of embryonic and umbrial cord-blood derived cells.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells comprise adult cells.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells are derived from a source selected from at least one of bone marrow, peripheral blood, and organs.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the step of applying to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells comprises the step of applying the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells by one of sytemic infusion, local arterial infusion, venous infusion, and direct injection into the tissue.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the step of subjecting a tissue of the patient with shock waves comprises the step of applying the shock waves to the tissue before applying to the patient the therapeutically effective amount of the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the step of subjecting a tissue of the patient with shock waves comprises the step of applying the shock waves to the tissue while applying to the patient the therapeutically effective amount of the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the step of subjecting a tissue of the patient with shock waves comprises the step of applying the shock waves to the tissue after applying to the patient the therapeutically effective amount of the at least one of the stem cells and the progenitor cells.