Stem Cell Therapy treats heart attacks in Animals

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/Press_releases/2004/11_09_04.html

This article talks about how scientists in Johns Hopkins university used 14 pigs (because they have a similar circulatory system as in humans) in their study of preventing heart attacks through stem cells. The researchers used a special kind of bone marrow cell - mesenchymal cells and injected them directly in the pigs' heart muscle- which resulted in the full recovery of the pigs in a period of just 2 months. These adult bone marrow cells are taken from the bone marrow because the bone marrow has plenty of those cells to spare. About 12-15 injections of adult stem cells were given to the pigs with each one of them consisting of about 200 million cells. These cells were injected into the heart muscle using a specialized catherer, inserted through a tiny puncture in the artery. The most advantageous reason of using mesenchymal cells is that it does not trigger an immune response once injected in the muscle of the heart. Soon this study will be implied onto humans to treat pathalogies such as CAD.