Scientist at the university of Washington and Geron implanted cardiac cells derived from human embryonic stem cells into rats four days after heart attack. They noticed that the heart muscles rebuild with normal functioning. Two major problems overcome from the study: creating heart muscle cells from embryonic stem cells; and enabling the new cells to thrive after implantation in the damaged heart. To make human cardiomyocytes thrive they suspended them in a biochemical mixture of “survival factors”. They have planned to conduct similar experiments on pigs or sheep. Human clinical trials could also begin within two years.

Source: FT.com

Date:- August 26 2007