Stem cells could be used to repair heart muscle damage

Research from the British Heart Foundation's London Centre of regenerative medicine has found that stem cells could be used to regenerate damaged heart muscle in mice.

The study was carried out by Imperial College London discovered that these stem cells carried an identifying protein on their surface, allowing scientists to purify and multiple enough of these stem cells to then inject them into damaged hearts.

Professor Michael Schneider, co-leader of the study, said: "We saw a significant level of heart repair. Now that we know which stem cells to use, we want to find their equivalent in human hearts for more efficient heart repair and regeneration after heart attacks."

Mr Schneider added that stem cell injections could be a future treatment, or at least the use of the healing proteins that these cells make. Further studies will now be carried out on human test subjects.

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