Montreal woman donates to stem cell research with hopes it will help her heart

The MUHC has embarked on stem cell research with serious potential to treat a range of conditions, doctors say, and part of that work has been made possible by someone with hopes it can help her.

Sharon Steinberg is proud to say she exercises three times a week. She’s in her 80s, and she does the workouts on her doctor’s orders after developing uncomfortable symptoms.

“I was having trouble breathing,” she said. She went to the MUHC to get it checked and was told “’oh, you’ve got a heart condition.”

Steinberg suffers from a relatively common ailment called cardiomyopathy -- a disease that weakens heart muscles. Symptoms include constant fatigue and shortness of breath, among others.

“There are many drugs to choose from, but they're generic,” said Dr. Nadia Giannetti, medical director of the heart failure and transplant program at the MUHC. “You can use them on anybody and hope they'll respond.”

Hundreds of patients arrive at her department every year. But despite a range of medication, there is no blanket treatment for everyone, she says.

But the way doctors treat patients like her could soon change. In a new, experimental approach, blood is drawn from the patient, which can be used to grow stem cells in a laboratory.

Stem cell science has evolved greatly in recent years, and no longer requires discarded tissues.

Under a microscope, a clutter of cells can be seen beating in a pattern reminiscent of a heartbeat.

“These are muscle cells,” explains the cardiologist while showing the pulsing cells to reporters.

“We see what's the difference in the way her heart muscle cells are beating versus someone who does not have have cardiomyopathy,” she said.

“The goal is being able to say her problem in her heart is this specific problem so it will be targeted for treatment.”

“You see the rhythm,” says Ms. Steinberg, while watching the medical team develop a treatment specifically for her.

The treatment is still experimental, and doctors still have to develop the right treatment for Steinberg's particular form of cardiomyopathy, but the science has a lot of potential, experts say.

“We have colleagues at the neuro who are looking at mini brains, you can do this in the liver, in other organs” said Dr. Giannetti.

Steinberg says she was so grateful for the MUHC's efforts that she chose to donate a portion of her savings to the hospital's foundation.

“When you suffer, no matter what the suffering is, it gives me, I'll speak for myself, a feeling of comfort, to know others won't have the suffering that I have,” she said.

MUHC Foundation President and CEO Julie Quenneville says the donation will open the door to additional research, since most grants are awarded only once a treatment passes initial tests.

“Thanks to her, we are now able to test this project, and of course we'll be able to secure research grants, and make sure this research is accessible to more Canadians,” she added.

“Isn't that amazing? This is what philanthropy is all about.”