Coronary arteries hold heart-regenerating cells
Wednesday, August 20, 2014 - 11:20
in Biology & Nature
Endothelial cells residing in the coronary arteries can function as cardiac stem cells to produce new heart muscle tissue, investigators have discovered. The heart has long been considered to be an organ without regenerative potential, said one expert. Recent findings, however, have demonstrated that new heart muscle cells are generated at a low rate, suggesting the presence of cardiac stem cells. The source of these cells was unknown.