David Hess (PhD’99) doesn’t hesitate when he’s asked what first sparked his interest in stem cell biology. “I’m a bone marrow transplant survivor. When I was 15, I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia.”
He was told his only chance for survival was to have a transplant, and fortunately his brother was a match. Ever since then, he’s had an interest in cellular therapies, which he investigates now as a scientist at the Robarts Research Institute’s Krembil Centre for Stem Cell Biology.
David Hess
Hess is also an Assistant Professor in Physiology & Pharmacology, the department where he achieved his PhD in 1999. He then joined one of Canada’s top stem cell researchers, Mick Bhatia at Robarts for postdoctoral training.
“I spent three years with Mick and learned a lot about stem cell biology and became completely enthralled with it,” says Hess.
Hess left Robarts for the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “I felt I needed more training to basically find that needle in the haystack, to find those rare stem cells that could be involved in blood vessel formation … or used to induce beta-cell regeneration.” He returned to Robarts and Western in 2006.
Hess and his colleagues recently published a paper in the journal Blood, illustrating the successful regeneration of blood vessels in mice which have surgically-induced critical limb ischemia. Hess drew human bone marrow and isolated three different types of stem cells that co-ordinate together to form new blood vessels. The stem cells were purified and injected into immune-deficient mice.
The research showed these stem cells have a natural ability to hone in on the area of ischemia to induce blood vessel repair and improve blood flow.
“Many people with long-term severe diabetes have very poor blood flow which causes resting pain and affects wound healing in their limbs, so much so that every year more than 100,000 people in North America will lose a limb,” explains Hess.
“If we can use their own bone marrow stem cells to form new blood vessels, or to make blood vessels in their limbs more healthy and functional, we can perhaps stave off the need for those amputations.”
Aldgaen, a biopharmaceutical company, is already conducting clinical trials using Hess’ data, and first results are very promising.
The treated group of patents with critical limb ischemia showed improvements in overall clinical status as well as increased blood flow in the affected limb. Aldagen is also testing this therapy on patients with end-stage ischemic heart failure.
Hess admits, “I didn’t think it would happen as fast as it did, and I’m ecstatic that it’s working.”
Twenty-two years ago, research saved David Hess’ life. Now he’s determined to pay it forward.
