Professor Hiroaki Matsubara and colleagues from Kyoto University Hospital has regenerated stem cells from cardiac muscle cells. The cardiac muscle cells were obtained from the heart tissue of human volunteers. The researchers injected the regenerated stem cells from humans into the heart of the mouse, which had a damaged heart muscle and blood vessels, the scientists found that the therapy healed and caused regeneration of new heart muscles in the mouse.
Scientists are sure that the new result will help in treating diseases leading to regenerative medicine therapy. This therapy will help cure people with regenerative heart disease that requires heart transplants.The study was conducted by obtaining heart tissues from 50 volunteers suffering from heart disease during their heart operation with informed consent. The heart tissue cells were separated and grown in a tissue culture system leading to growth of 8,000 separate cells, which could proliferate individually. After growth of these cells in cell line, they developed into different progenitor cells, which could differentiate into heart muscles, blood vessels and neurons. The effect of these cells was confirmed by injecting the stem cells into the diseased mice, which lead to regeneration of their heart muscles. The similar heart stem cells were found in leg muscles of the mouse. Before starting a clinical trial on human trial, the team is to start a trial in dogs and pigs to test the efficacy of the current therapy.
Professor Hiroaki Matsubara said, "The heart muscle cells can be useful for people who suffer from enlarged hearts and other diseases that affect heart muscle." Professor Hiroaki Matsubara, in 2003 reported the world’s first discovery of stem cells in the heart muscles of mouse.
Professor said that he would be presenting the results of the study during the annual meeting of the Japanese College of Cardiology to be held in Osaka on Sept. 19.
