Identify stem cells that can heal damage in the heart

Dr. Kenneth Chien
(Photo: harvard.edu)

Two US research groups identified two groups of stem cells that would allow healing of damage in the human heart.

The team led by Dr. Kenneth Chien of Harvard Medical University demonstrated that these host cells isolated from mouse embryonic stem cells can produce three main types of heart cells. The second group, led by Stuart Orkin of the Howard Hugues Institute of Medicine, identified cells that produce cardiac muscle cells and vascular wall cells.

According to the researchers, the findings confirm that a single host cell can produce many types of heart cells, different from the previous assumption. This means that it is simpler to treat different tissues of the heart when damaged after a stroke. Unlike other parts of the human body, the heart is hard to heal the most wounds.

Scientists will find out if these host cells can be used in humans. They hope to identify these cells from human embryonic cells and study their development in detail.

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