Human Stem Cells from Fat Tissue Fuse With Rat Heart Cells and Beat

Researchers at the University of Texas in Houston have published findings which may be the first step to eliminating the need for heart transplants. Using human subcutaneous adipose tissue, the researchers fused stem cells derived from the fatty tissue with cardiomyocytes from rats in an effort to form new heart tissue. Not only did this occur, the tissues fused together forming new heart muscle cells with several nuclei, which actually beat normally when kept in a cultured environment. "Recovery of regenerative cells located in the stromal vascular fraction of a patient's own subcutaneous tissue is relatively simple and can be used for self-healing," said Christopher Alt, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Molecular Pathology at the University of Texas in Houston. "A patient's quality of life can be improved by application of those recovered regenerative cells to the heart, as well as to bone, tendons, non-healing wounds and joints."

This article is interesting not only because we just covered the cardiovascular system in class, but also because thousands of people each year die due to heart failure, many due to the inability to receive heart transplants. With continued research, the findings may progress into methods of repairing heart muscle cells in humans using differentiable stem cells, which at the time there is very limited knowledge about.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228151907.htm