Stem Cell Therapies for Hearts May Be Closer

New stem cell therapies to repair heart damage are on the horizon. An intravenous method of injecting stem cells into patients who had experienced a heart attack within 10 days was found to be successful in a recent study.

The new clinical approach could help patients who might otherwise experience heart failure, according to the article published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The stem cells reduce the amount of scar tissue and increase the pumping strength of the heart in heart attack patients. They also grow a limited amount of new heart muscle.

Researchers are also looking into how the therapy could help patients who have experienced heart attacks many months or years in the past. The current study shows the results from patients who just had a six-month follow-up.

AUTHOR: Annette Hulbert

2 Responses to “Stem Cell Therapies for Hearts May Be Closer”

Posted by James Counsell on December 27th, 2009 at 11:55 PM

Hi……….I am extremmely interested in this line of treatment for hearts using stem cells. Please keep me on your data base and inform me of any further developments Many thanks , Jim.

Posted by Robert L. Cross MD on January 4th, 2010 at 1:21 AM

I have 27% Ejection Fraction, Am very interesred in stem cells and their activity for return of function in cardiac cardiomyopathy patients,