REPAIRING a damaged heart suddenly seems possible. Two teams of scientists
report that stem cells can fix some of the damage caused by heart attacks. The
techniques could be tested in people as early as next year.
The havoc caused by a heart attack comes in two stages. Minutes after a
coronary artery is blocked, heart muscle cells begin to suffer from the lack of
oxygen and nutrients. If doctors don’t clear the blockage immediately, the cells
die and the heart is permanently damaged.
Days or weeks later, the heart compensates by “remodelling”, enlarging the
muscle cells so they can…
