Stem cell injections for hearts

Doctors have used stem cell injections for patients post heart attack to improve cardiac function. These findings were presented at a recent meeting at the American College of Cardiology. The first trial involved injecting stem cells from bone marrow intravenously into patients. Over the six month trial, the patients receiving the stem cell treatment had improved lung and heart function from those who did not receive the injections. Likewise, a second trial involved stem cells taken from a patients own muscle tissue. In the treatment group the stem cells were directly injected into the patient's heart. The control group was treated with the standard drug treatments post heart attack. At the end of the trial, the patients receiving the stem cells had a markedly improved quality of life, and the control group worsened. Because of the success, the FDA has approved a phase II trial. These non-invasive techniques could potentially change the way heart attack patients are treated.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070326/ts_alt_afp/ushealthheartstemcell;_ylt=AqFyX0oqH2kIhE1sqiw0q1CJhMgF