Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Pioneered For Heart Attack Repair
Monday, July 20, 2009 - 17:14
in Health & Medicine
Mayo Clinic investigators say a proof-of-concept study has demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be used to treat heart disease. iPS cells are stem cells converted from adult stem cells so don't involve the ethical concerns involved in using human embryonic stem cells. In their study, the researchers reprogrammed ordinary fibroblasts, cells that contribute to scars such as those resulting from a heart attack, converting them into stem cells that fix heart damage caused by infarction.This is the first application of iPS-based technology for heart disease therapy. Previously iPS cells have been used on only three other disease models: Parkinson's disease, sickle cell anemia and hemophilia A. read more
Read the whole article on Scientific Blogging
More from Scientific Blogging
Related
- Induced pluripotent stem cells repair heart, Mayo Clinic study showsMon, 20 Jul 2009, 16:38:53 EDT
- Your own stem cells can treat heart diseaseTue, 17 Nov 2009, 18:39:14 EST
- Can stem cells heal damaged hearts? No easy answers, but some signs of hopeTue, 7 Oct 2008, 19:35:57 EDT
- Human embryonic stem cell secretions minimized tissue injury after heart attackWed, 10 Sep 2008, 9:57:02 EDT
- Gene directs stem cells to build the heartWed, 2 Jul 2008, 13:08:05 EDT