Heart stem cells ‘heal’ scarred heart

New research has shown that stem cells can repair scar tissue caused by a heart attack. Stem cells taken from healthy tissue in the heart were reintroduced into damaged areas and halved the amount of scar tissue present.

The aim of this new study was to determine the safety and feasibility of such a procedure. The dramatic reduction of scar tissue and “unprecedented” growth of healthy heart tissue, have been described by The British Heart Foundation as “potentially great news for heart attack patients”.

Heart attacks are caused by a blockage in the blood vessels feeding the heart, causing the heart muscle itself to be starved of oxygen. The tissue in the effected area then dies and is replaced by scar tissue. This new scar tissue lacks the strength and elasticity of healthy heart tissue and leads to a weakened pumping of the blood around the body, which can sometimes result in total heart failure.

The team of researchers, from Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in California, removed a small amount of healthy heart tissue from the patient. Stem cells were then isolated from this tissue and grown in a laboratory before being reintroduced into the blood vessels surrounding the scar tissue. A year after the treatment the amount of scar tissue present had halved with healthy heart tissue growing in its place.

Most previous research in this area has focused on minimizing the amount of scar tissue forming through preventative techniques, and over a decade of research into regenerative therapy has produced few breakthroughs.

So whilst it is still ‘early days’ for this sort of therapy, the study shows that like in so many other areas of modern medical research, stem cells could be the answer.