Master Stem Cell for Heart Discovered
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Contributed by Lisa Olen| 26 November, 2006 20:37 GMT
The discovery of a "master" type of stem cell capable of differentiating into the three major cell types in mammalian hearts and blood vessels -- cardiac, smooth muscle and endothelial cells -- could lead to new treatments for coronary disease.
Dr. Kenneth Chien of the Cardiovascular Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and colleagues identified the cells within the developing heart tissue of embryonic mice. Their findings are published in the journal
Cell.
The discovery brings scientists one step closer to developing a means for regeneration of healthy tissue to replace damaged hearts. It might also lead to new drug treatments. |
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