One of the most troublesome issues for the researchers and cardiologists today is heart diseases. About a decade ago, the scientists found a solution in stem cells for this problem. These cells are very powerful and keep prowling in the whole body to repair and maintain tissues when required. Scientists can use these vital stem cells and transform them into heart cells in the laboratory. When these are implanted in animals, they can grow into new heart tissue. It further gave rise to a hope among researchers that they can transfuse these stem cells into heart patients. It involves those whose heart has gone weak by heart attacks or those who are not able to pump enough blood through their bodies.
Currently, the number of people suffering from heart diseases is increasing at a great pace including high ratio of baby boomers. Researchers now have come to a conclusion that by using of abundant stem cells, chances to cure heart problems can increase to a large extent. During a heart attack a blockage in the artery cuts off the oxygen supply to the heart that damage billion of cells. In most of the parts, cells do not grow back and thus the region becomes a scar tissue. The circulatory system becomes weak. Many scientists and doctors started extracting stem cells from bone marrow few years back. It showed great compatibility signs. However, the result obtained after the transfusion of bone marrow cells was mixed. The treatment is safe but the improvement was temporary.
The researchers are still practicing on solving this mystery. Recently, it has been discovered that stem cells present in menstrual blood have more potential to differentiate into different cell types. So, there is a high need to preserve menstrual blood as they are highly capable of curing severe heart diseases. Heart attacks are not that deadly as they used to be in past days. A person who has suffered from four or five heart attacks is still alive after a time period of one year. Heart attacks cause damage that results in heart failure and which further reduces the life span of a person.
Dr Eduardo Marban, director of heart institute in Los Angeles began to study stem cells that came from heart instead of bone marrow or menstrual blood bank. These cells called the cardiac progenitor cells repaired heart muscle. The reason was that these transplanted cells secreted chemicals which further improved the functioning of heart and the improvement was not because of growth of any new tissue. The major concern is these cells are very rare. Marban believes that the research is going to reap new results in medical history.
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