Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Scientists Overcome Major Obstacles To Stem Cell Heart Repair

Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Date: December 13, 2007

Summary:

Scientists at Imperial College London have overcome two significant obstacles on the road to harnessing stem cells to build patches for damaged hearts. Presenting the research at a UK Stem Cell Initiative conference December 13 in Coventry, research leader Professor Sian Harding has explained how her group have made significant progress in maturing beating heart cells (cardiomyocytes) derived from embryonic stem cells and in developing the physical scaffolding that would be needed to hold the patch in place in the heart in any future clinical application.