A Study to See if Heart Cells Can Be Generated from Blood or Skin Cells of Breast Cancer Patients

Full Title

Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes from Patients Exposed to Trastuzumab Therapy for Breast Cancer

Purpose

Patients receiving certain drugs for breast cancer, such as doxorubicin or trastuzumab, may experience impaired heart function. Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are conducting a study to see if it is possible to grow heart muscle cells (“cardiomyocytes”) from blood or skin cells from breast cancer patients. The skin cells will be grown in a special mixture in the laboratory designed to transform them from skin cells into heart muscle cells.

Researchers will then study the structure and function of these cells to determine why some patients who receive breast cancer drugs experience reduced heart function. The findings of this study could potentially be used to improve the heart function of patients receiving these medications for breast cancer.

Protocol
16-025
Phase
Pilot (small research study)
Investigator
Co-Investigators
Richard Steingart
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02772367