Heart muscle cells can be grown from stem cells and used to repair damaged hearts, a new study finds. (Image credit: Noctiluxx via Getty Images
On January 29, scientists reported a groundbreaking medical achievement that helped a 46-year-old woman with severe heart failure stay alive long enough to receive a heart transplant. The woman, who had suffered a heart attack in 2016, was part of a clinical trial where she received experimental stem-cell-derived heart tissue grafts. These tiny patches, made from lab-grown heart muscle cells, stabilized her condition for three months until she could undergo the transplant.
The patches, each containing around 400 million heart cells, were implanted onto the surface of her heart. This procedure, detailed in a study published in the journal Nature, marks the first time such a biological transplant has been used to strengthen and stabilize a failing heart. Dr. Ingo Kutschka, a heart surgeon at University Medical Center Göttingen in Germany and co-author of the study, called it a “breakthrough” in treating heart failure.
Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump blood effectively, often due to damage from a heart attack. Unlike skin cells, heart muscle cells cannot easily repair themselves. In the U.S., heart failure affects about 6.7 million adults and contributed to over 450,000 deaths in 2022. For severe cases, a heart transplant is often the only option, but donor hearts are in short supply. More than half of patients with severe heart failure die within a year if they do not receive a transplant.
To address this issue, scientists have been exploring alternatives, such as growing heart tissue from stem cells. In this study, researchers used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are created by reprogramming adult cells into a state where they can develop into almost any cell type. These iPSCs were turned into heart muscle cells and connective tissue, then mixed with collagen to form patches. The patches were tested first on rhesus macaque monkeys with heart failure. After six months, the monkeys showed thicker heart walls and improved blood-pumping ability, with no tumors or irregular heartbeats.
The success in monkeys led to human trials, including the 46-year-old woman. After her transplant, researchers examined her old heart and found that the patches had developed tiny blood vessels, proving they were receiving oxygen and nutrients. Dr. Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann, another co-author, emphasized that the procedure adds muscle to the failing heart safely and effectively.
While this technology is not a replacement for heart transplants, it could help patients survive longer while waiting for a donor heart. The team has already implanted patches in 15 other patients and is working to reduce the need for immunosuppressant drugs, which prevent rejection but can increase infection risks. This research offers hope for millions of people living with heart failure.
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