A research programme launch- ed this month hopes to find evidence that will reduce the need for hear...
A research programme launch- ed this month hopes to find evidence that will reduce the need for heart transplantation and long-term medical treat- ment for heart disease.
Scientists at the University of Oxford have been awarded a grant by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to study the ability of stem cells taken from bone marrow to repair heart muscle after a heart attack.
When people suffer a heart attack (myocardial infarction), the heart muscle is damaged and unable to repair itself, increasing the risk of heart failure. In fact, it is thought that around half of all heart failure cases are a result of myocardial infarction.
However, scientists believe bone marrow contains stem cells that can be used to repair damaged heart muscle. The new study will look at the long-term benefits of transplanting cells into a heart to repair injury and restore heart function. They will do this by transplanting cells into rats and then monitoring their hearts on MRI scans.
Professor Kieran Clarke at the University of Oxford, head of the research team, said: "It is essential that we understand the basic biology of stem cells and test these cells in functioning animal models so that they can be safely applied to the treatment of human disease."
