Adult Stem Cells And Heart Disease

On Wednesday, CBN News posted a story about the use of adult stem cells to treat heart disease. Dr. Roberto Bolli at the University of Louisville has completed an adult stem cell treatment on 16 heart failure patients — and the study was largely successful.

The article reports:

“It’s not hype, it is really hope,” he said. “I think that stem cells will likely become a routine part of the treatment of cardiovascular disease in the next few years.”

Bolli took cells from a healthy part of the patient and infused them into the patient’s heart, causing the regeneration of previously dead heart tissue.

Please note–these are adult stem cells from the patient’s own body, there were no embryonic stem cells involved. Since the cells were taken from the patient, there was no danger of rejection.

The article points out:

Other researchers have used adult stem cells to restore vision to patients whose eyes were damaged by chemicals.They have also been used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and other blood diseases, heal broken bones, and create skin grafts.

The article reports:

Because of the promise of Bolli’s work, the National Institutes of Health has awarded a $3.4 million grant for more research at the University of Louisville over the next seven years.

Hopefully Dr. Bolli’s research will mean longer, healthier lives for many people.

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