Injections of human adult stem cells around damaged tissue following a heart attack could help to improve the organ’s pumping efficiency for a year, new research suggests.
Scientists at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre conducted a study on mice which were given injections of adult stem cells, called CD34-positive cells, following a heart attack. These cells are known to be capable of becoming heart muscle, blood vessel and smooth muscle cells. MRI scans showed that the treated mice benefited from noticeable improvements in left ventricular ejection fraction compared with untreated mice.
