Currently at
the University of Vermont, Professor Jeffrey Spees, Ph.D. and other researchers
have been working towards the invention of a method to combat cardiac
problems. Hundreds of thousands of
people have heart attacks every year and sadly many die from it. The use of stem cells has been key to the
work done thus far to hinder the ailments of the heart. Stem cells can be grown to any particular
cell the body needs. They are used to
regrow or repair damaged cells in the body.
Once the cells are grown they need to be grafted into position, which
can prove very difficult.
The lack of
adhesion and death are among the most common forms of stem cell graft
failures. To aid in this problem, the
researchers used progenitor cells made from bone marrow, which has the ability
to form stromal cells that help with blood cell formation. The ligands secreted by these cells help the
stem cells to attach and thrive in the body.
This method allowed for the cardiac stem cells to be successfully placed
in the heart of a rat, which proved to be the most successful trial to
date. Although human application has not
been attempted yet, the results are very promising thus far.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130130101820.htm
