Experimental Medical Techniques: British doctor’s using stem cells to repair damaged heart tissue

An elite British medical team is currently undertaking a new study that could represent an earth-shattering change in the way we treat heart attacks survivors. The plan involves the application of stem cells injected directly into damaged areas of a patients heart tissue that has been damaged from a previous heart attack or cardiac arrest. The scientists hope that the tissue will effectively regenerate.

While any procedure involving the use of stem-cells is sure to be controversial, the use of stem cells for medical research is legal and regulated in Britain. In fact, according to a recent post in the health blog A Hearty Life, there is research currently being undertaken in Britain combining stem cells with treatments for both diabetes and Parkinson’s.

The post also quotes one of the lead researchers on the project, a Dr. Ascione as saying, “one in three people will die within two or three years and the remaining people will have a very poor quality of life,” said Dr Ascione. “Your exercise tolerance will be very poor, you will not to be able to enjoy your life. If this [experiment] works you will minimize this … the point of this trial is to do the bypass and try to repair the scar, to make it a viable muscle again.”

Anybody who pays close attention to heart-related stories would probably know that this isn’t the first time that hearts and stem cells have crossed paths. A recent post in Dr Wes’ blog detailed some of the findings of a study where heart valves were grown from stem cells harvested from bone marrow. “The scientists first coaxed stem cells extracted from bone marrow to grow into heart valve cells by using chemical and physical nudges. Then, by placing these cells into scaffolds made of collagen, they grew small 3cm wide discs of heart valve tissue. Later this year the tissue will be implanted into animals – probably sheep or pigs – and monitored to see how well it works as part of a circulatory system.”

The process of growing heart tissue from bone marrow is to be repeated in the British study, but it represents the first time that the process will be conducted on actual human tissue. Regardless of where you stand in the stem cell debate, hearing about news like this does add a certain element of excitement to the air. Could you imagine if heart attack survivors could regenerate their heart tissue and maintain the quality of life they had before their heart attack? Exciting times.