Results of a recent study on animals has shown that embryonic stem cell transplants can help to repair damage caused by heart attacks or congestive heart failure (CHF). An estimated 5-million Americans suffer from CHF, a condition where the pumping ability of the heart is reduced, and at present the condition is largely untreatable. However, the results of the study suggest that embryonic stem cell transplants may provide doctors with a new way of combating the disease. Researchers found that embryonic stem cells (ES) were able to repair damage sustained during a heart attack and significantly improve left ventricular function, or the pumping ability of the organ in just six-weeks.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Journal of Applied Physiology 2002; 92: 288-296
