Embryonic Human Stem Cells May Help Repair Heart Muscle, Lab Study Shows - Health Day

Experiments in rats show that human embryonic stem cells can repair damaged heart muscle, improve heart function and slow the progression of heart failure.
Using stem cells to repair damaged hearts is something that appears promising, but so far it has been fraught with problems.

Previous experiments have shown that it is possible to create heart cells from embryonic stem cells. However, most of these cells do not become heart muscle cells, and many don't survive once transplanted into a damaged heart.

"We found a way to increase the survival of these cells," said lead researcher Dr. Charles Murry, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Washington, in Seattle.

This study makes the case that you can use embryonic stem cells after a heart attack, and shows that there is an improvement in cardiac function," said Dr. Kenneth R. Chien, a member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

In contrast to adult stem cells, these embryonic heart cells appear to actually be heart muscle. Experiments with adult stem cells seem to show improved heart function by creating blood vessels, Chien explained.