Cardiovascular Research Foundation NYC Conference February 23-25

More than 81 million people live with heart disease in the United States.Many of them will benefit from interventional procedures developed or refined by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). Still others will have their lives transformed by technologies that are only now emerging and being studied and perfected here before becoming available to patients. Since its inception in 1991, CRF has played a major role in realizing dramatic improvements in the lives of patients by establishing the safe use of new technologies, drugs, and therapies in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

Cardiovascular Research Foundation Complex PCI: Left Main and CTO Summit

Leading practitioners of percutaneous coronary intervention must become experts at recanalizing chronic total occlusions, and with advanced techniques, success rates greater than 90% may be obtained. Moreover, stenting of the unprotected left main coronary artery has emerged as a viable alternative to surgery in selected patients but requires a special skill set and understanding of anatomy, imaging, hemodynamic support, and adjunctive devices. Bringing together leaders in the fields of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) and percutaneous left main intervention, the Complex PCI: Left Main and CTO Summit will be held from the heart of New York City.

These sessions will emphasize both advanced techniques and evidence-based medicine, with a heavy reliance on live case transmissions featuring the world’s leading experts in left main and CTO stenting. Topics to be covered include:

• When and why to open a CTO
• Left main PCI vs. CABG: Patient selection
• CTO angioplasty: Antegrade vs. retrograde approaches; wire and device selection, and essential techniques and tips
• Basic and advanced imaging and physiologic lesion assessment to improve procedural results and late outcomes
• Pharmacology essentials
• Minimizing and managing complications

Registration is here.

Cell Therapy in Cardiology: Conference Begins in NYC Tomorrow

Just a reminder that tomorrow through Friday a very important conference in NYC takes place: The Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Disease.

Web site: http://celltherapy.crf.org/conference/overview.html

This is an off-wall street conference that is focused on reaching the medical community: Clinicians and clinical investigators, interventional cardiologists, noninvasive cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, research associates, basic science investigators (cell and molecular biologists), hospital administrators, program directors, legislators, and regulatory agency personnel to name a few. We will be attending.

A few key panels to be aware of:

• Wednesday: Industry Session I. Focus on Acute Injury Technologies: 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm. The participants include Linda Marban, Alexander M Milstein, Andrew Pecora (NeoStem CMO), Kai Pinkernell, Anthony Ting, Christine Wallrapp
• Thursday: Acute Injury: STEMI and NSTEMI, 8:45 am - 10:15 am. Moderators: Timothy D. Henry, Andreas M. Zeiher. Participants: Henricus J. Duckers, Raj Makkar, Marc S. Penn, Arshed A. Quyyumi (PI in NeoStem’ s Amorcyte trial) , Warren Sherman, Wojciech Wojakowski. We note that Dr. Zeiher is a moderator. Dr Zeiher is concerned one of the most prominent thought leaders in cell therapy and cardiology.
• Thursday 10:45-12:15: CLI/CMI. Moderators: Douglas W. Losordo, Amit Patel. Discussants: Todd J. Brinton, Timothy D. Henry, Thomas F. O'Donnell, Emerson C. Perin, Christof Stamm, Gustav Steinhoff

On this panel we note the presence of Doug Losordo who is also one of the most respected key opinion leaders in cell therapy and is also a pioneer on CD34+ cells and cardiology. Dr. Losordo is the PI in Baxter's CD34+ trial. NeoStem also is running a CD 34+ trial.

• Trial 1: CD34+ Cells for Refractory Angina: ACT 34 CMI Update and Phase 3 Study Design. Timothy D. Henry
• Trial 2: Adipose-Derived Cells for Chronic Ischemia: The PRECISE Trial, Emerson C. Perin
• Trial 3: Update on Standardization of CD133 Intramyocardial BMSC for Intramyocardial Delivery, Gustav Steinhoff
• Trial 4: BMAC for CLI: A Phase III Trial, Thomas F. O'Donnell
• Trial 5: Placenta-Derived Cells for CLI, Christof Stamm