Battling Heart and Stroke

Stem cell research has been viewed as the potential source of future treatments of many ailments from cancer to cardiovascular disease. In this post, I review two of the latest studies on stem cell research which show great promise in treating heart diseases.

Repairing heart defects with stem cells

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Have a great weekend!

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Earlier this week, the British House of Commons voted by a large majority the amendments for Human Fertilization and Embryonic Research Act which allows scientists to produce human-animal hybrid embryos for stem cell research.

It is the belief of many scientists, lawmakers, as well as patients that the key to future therapies that can cure diseases - from cardiovascular disorders to cancer - lie in stem cell research.

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Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Calgary have found that stem cells derived from adult skin can create neural cell types that can be transplanted into and function in mouse models of disease. This research is reported in the June 14, 2006 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

SickKids researchers previously discovered what type of cells can be made from these stem cells (called skin-derived precursors, or SKPs) based on the role played by neural-crest stem cells during embryogenesis. In addition to generating the peripheral nervous system, neural crest stem cells generate other tissues such as bone, cartilage, some types of muscle, and even part of the heart.

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