Dr. Devendra Agrawal, a Creighton University School of Medicine researcher, has received a $3.3 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health.

This five-year grant funds the study of what role adult stem cells might play in repairing damaged coronary arteries, a complication that often occurs in patients after they undergo angioplasty and stenting.

“Re-narrowing of coronary arteries in the heart after balloon angioplasty or placement of stents is a serious problem,” Agrawal said. “This is primarily due to uncontrolled growth of smooth muscle cells at the site of injury due to balloon angioplasty or the placement of stent in coronary artery. The goal is to test the hypothesis that the administration of stem cells with gene therapy is superior to drug- eluting stents.”

Agrawal is hopeful and confident about the future.

“I am optimistic that our approach will eliminate the need of stents in patients with coronary artery disease,” Agrawal said. “This will not only reduce morbidity and mortality but also significantly reduce the total health care cost.”