A heart surgeon has given a baby boy a ‘chance of life’ thanks to the ‘world’s first’ operation using placental stem cells.
Finley Pantry was born with a congenital heart defect, meaning the two main arteries supplying blood to his lungs and body were in the wrong positions.
At just four days old, he underwent the first open-heart surgery to return the major arteries to their normal position.
Unfortunately, the newborn suffered complications and his heart function rapidly deteriorated, leaving him in intensive care for weeks, relying on medication and a ventilator to support his heart.
Finley Pantry (pictured with his mother, Melissa Hood) was born with a congenital heart defect, meaning the two main arteries supplying blood to his lungs and body were in the wrong positions
At just four days old, he underwent the first open-heart surgery to return the major arteries to their normal position
Heart defects: The most common type of abnormality that develops before a baby is born
Heart defects are the most common type of abnormality that develops before a baby is born, with around 13 babies diagnosed with congenital heart disease every day in the UK.
Currently, for many of these children, surgeons can perform open-heart surgery to temporarily fix the problem, but the materials used for the patches or replacement heart valves are not fully biological and cannot grow with the baby.
This means that the child may have to undergo the same thermal operation repeatedly during childhood, keeping him in hospital for weeks.
But thanks to a doctor he is now living as a happy two-year-old looking forward to Christmas with his family in Corsham, Wiltshire.
Professor Massimo Caputo of the Bristol Heart Institute told Finley’s mother that he could try using a pioneering stem cell ‘scaffold’ to correct the heart defect.
The procedure involved stem cells from a placental bank that were injected directly into Finley’s heart in the hope that they would help the damaged blood vessels grow.
Remarkably, Finley was then weaned off the medication and ventilation he was on – and is now a ‘happy growing little boy’.
Finley’s mother, Melissa Hood, said: “We almost lost Finley when he was just two months old. The doctors called us into a room and told us that they had done everything they could.
“Then Massimo came to find us and explained that there was one option left – to inject stem cells into the left side of Finley’s heart.
“He warned us that he could not predict what the outcome would be. But we had absolutely nothing to lose. We had to try to give Finley every possible chance to live.
Just two weeks after the stem cell treatment, the family noticed a change in Finley and he was sent home for the first time when he was six months old with a machine that still helps him breathe at night.
Unfortunately, the newborn suffered complications and his heart function rapidly deteriorated, leaving him in intensive care for weeks, relying on medication and a ventilator to support his heart
Professor Massimo Caputo of the Bristol Heart Institute told Finley’s mother he could try using a pioneering stem cell ‘scaffold’ to fix the heart defect
“We can’t thank Massimo enough,” said Miss Hood. “I believe that if it wasn’t for the stem cell treatment, Finley would not be here with us today.”
“Finley is very boisterous and very funny – he’s a true warrior at heart and I tell him that all the time.
“We don’t know what the future holds, but we are so grateful that Finley’s life has been turned around after stem cell treatment, as he now has a chance at life that he might not otherwise have.”
Heart defects are the most common type of abnormality that develops before a baby is born, with around 13 babies diagnosed with congenital heart disease every day in the UK.
Finley now lives as a happy two-year-old looking forward to Christmas with his family in Corsham, Wiltshire
Finley’s stem cell injection treatment inspired Professor Caputo to develop stem cell ‘patches’ that can grow with a child’s heart as they age, eliminating the need for repeated operations and the many days in hospital recovering after every one
Currently, for many of these children, surgeons can perform open-heart surgery to temporarily fix the problem, but the materials used for the patches or replacement heart valves are not fully biological and cannot grow with the baby.
This means that the child may have to undergo the same thermal operation repeatedly during childhood, keeping him in hospital for weeks.
Finley’s stem cell injection treatment inspired Professor Caputo to develop stem cell ‘patches’ that can grow with a child’s heart as they age, eliminating the need for repeated operations and the many days in hospital to recover after each one.
Professor Caputo has already received £750,000 from the British Heart Foundation to get these patches ready for testing on patients so that clinical trials can start in the next two years.
Professor Caputo has already received £750,000 from the British Heart Foundation to get these patches ready for testing on patients so that clinical trials can start in the next two years.
He said: “For years, families have come to us asking why their child has to have heart surgery over and over again.
“Although any operation can be life-saving, the experience can place an incredible amount of stress on the child and their parents.
“We believe our stem cell patches will be the answer to solving these problems.”
If you liked this article:
Scientists create ‘mini eyes’ in lab in breakthrough that could help thousands at risk of sight loss
Scientists develop new technique to rejuvenate skin cells – claim they can turn back the aging clock by 30 YEARS
Male infertility BREAKTHROUGH as scientists successfully create viable sperm from monkey stem cells
Stem cells help researchers study mammalian development, allowing them to fight disease and create organs for human transplants
Stem cells are the raw materials of the body – a basic type of cell that can become another type of more specialized cell through a process known as differentiation.
Think of stem cells as a fresh ball of clay that can be shaped and transformed into any cell in the body—including bone, muscle, skin, and more.
This ability means they have been the focus of much medical research in recent decades.
They grow in embryos as embryonic stem cells, helping the rapidly growing baby form the millions of different types of cells it needs to build before birth.
Embryonic stem cells used in research come from unused embryos that are the result of an in vitro fertilization procedure and have been donated to science.
In adults, they are used as repair cells, replacing those we lose due to damage or aging.
For adults, there are two types: one type comes from fully developed tissues such as brain, skin, and bone marrow; the other involves pluripotent stem cells.
Pluripotent stem cells have been altered in a laboratory to be more like embryonic stem cells.
Add Comment