Pill to repair damaged hearts ‘just 5 years away’
By ANITuesday, February 1, 2011
LONDON - A major research programme involving experts in Scotland has suggested that a pill to repair damaged hearts could be a reality in as little as five years.
Researchers are looking at both stem-cell research and biotechnology, which they hope to use to make damaged hearts as easy to repair as broken bones, reports the Scotsman.
They said the “Holy Grail” would be a pill, or injection, that could stimulate the heart to heal itself.
Study is already under way, focusing on fundamental mechanisms that allow the self-repair of hearts in zebra fish and amphibians.
Another approach targets rare stem cells - immature cells that develop into a variety of tissues - that can rebuild lost heart muscle.
The Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine, which opens later this year, is looking for new ways to harness stem cells to create such treatments. (ANI)
