While most stem cell transplants are used for blood diseases, new developments suggest that stem cell transplantation may have a future in heart disease as well. Stem cells can grow into a variety of heart cells, treating heart disease by repairing certain parts of the heart.

 

Cardiovascular disease affects millions of people worldwide, and is the number one cause of death in the US. The disease can deprive the heart of oxygen, leading to the destruction of cardiac muscle cells and the formation of scar tissue. Stem cells allow the heart to regrow healthy muscle, which is life-changing for survivors of heart attacks and other patients with cardiovascular disease. In a study done by the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in 2009, scientists treated 17 heart attack patients with stem cells from their own hearts, and in one year, 50% of the scar tissue was healed. Stem cells can also be used to repair blood vessels and other parts of the cardiovascular system.