The Promise of Stem Cells: Heart Disease
Cardiovascular diseases affect nearly 62 million people and is the number-one cause of death in the United States.
Stem cells offer hope to those with heart disease because they might be able to replace damaged cardiac muscle or stimulate the growth of new heart-muscle cells from existing progenitor cells. Because natural regeneration of heart muscle is very inefficient, those who now suffer from a heart attack, from congenital heart disease, or from congestive heart failure have few treatment options. And while heart transplants potentially could help more patients, the supply of organs is limited.
Clinical trials using a patient’s own stem cells, derived from bone marrow, have already been carried out in United States and Europe, but few grafted cells survive and the benefits are very modest. Current work by stem cell researchers at the University of Minnesota focuses on identifying cardiac progenitor cells and devising new methods to create cardiac progenitor cells from embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells.
The public can support progress by Stem Cell Institute researchers at the University of Minnesota by contributing to the institute’s fund at the Minnesota Medical Foundation.
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