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Damaged heart could be coaxed into mending itself, claim scientists
The Telegraph ^ | 05 Aug 2010 | Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent

Posted on 08/06/2010 11:56:54 AM PDT by Daffynition

In as little as five years, researchers hope to be able to coax the heart into regenerating itself, repairing the damage caused by cardiac arrests and old age.

The revolutionary treatment could be possible after scientists discovered a technique for turning ordinary connective tissue into muscle cells inside the heart.

It works in a similar way to stem cells but instead of the new cells being grown outside the body and then injected back in, the technique simply makes the cells switch at the point where they are needed.

Around 700,000 people in Britain suffer from heart failure because it has virtually no ability to repair itself after an attack.

The main problem is that when beating muscles cells – known as cardiomyocytes – die during an attack there is no way to reactivate them and the surrounding connective tissue – known as fibroblasts – cannot take over their role.

Now Professor Deepak Srivastava at the Gladstone Institute, University of California, and his team have discovered a way of reprogramming fibroblasts into cardiomyocy

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Science
KEYWORDS: heartdisease; heartsurgery

1 posted on 08/06/2010 11:56:57 AM PDT by Daffynition
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To: Daffynition

Good. NHS can save more money, if the patients refuse to heal their own hearts than why should they get socialized medical care? < /sarc >


2 posted on 08/06/2010 11:58:53 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (I wish our president loved the US military as much as he loves Paul McCartney.)
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To: Daffynition

Hurry.


3 posted on 08/06/2010 11:59:43 AM PDT by Gator113 (Beauty will devour the Beast in 2012....)
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To: a fool in paradise
old age.

ahahaha, they said old age.

Why would anyone want the aged around. They serve no purpose. The heart might be great but they might still need other procedures if they live to a riper old age. They take money from Medicare and SS.

Obama will have to stop that crap.

Take an aspirin and die you old farts, die!

4 posted on 08/06/2010 12:04:56 PM PDT by TribalPrincess2U (demonicRATS... taxes, pain and slow death. Is this what you want?)
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To: Daffynition
It works in a similar way to stem cells but instead of the new cells being grown outside the body and then injected back in, the technique simply makes the cells switch at the point where they are needed.

Now THAT would be cool!

5 posted on 08/06/2010 12:07:24 PM PDT by SuziQ
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To: TribalPrincess2U
Take an aspirin and die you old farts, die!

At some point the government will be so broke even the aspirin will be too much expense.

6 posted on 08/06/2010 12:08:27 PM PDT by drangundsturm
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To: Daffynition

7 posted on 08/06/2010 12:09:55 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Visualize)
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To: a fool in paradise

8 posted on 08/06/2010 12:19:24 PM PDT by Daffynition (There is no other cheese.)
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To: Gator113

9 posted on 08/06/2010 12:21:13 PM PDT by Daffynition (There is no other cheese.)
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To: SuziQ

V-E-R-Y cool!

“It points to a whole new way of potentially doing therapy,” said Chad Cowan, an assistant professor in the department of stem cell and regenerative biology at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “This gives you the idea that you can take those fibroblasts, re-educate them to become heart muscle and thereby repair someone’s heart.”


10 posted on 08/06/2010 12:26:25 PM PDT by Daffynition (There is no other cheese.)
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To: JoeProBono

11 posted on 08/06/2010 12:30:07 PM PDT by Daffynition (There is no other cheese.)
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To: Daffynition

I’ve heard that the reason no one gets cancer of the heart is because it’s cells regenerate so slowly.


12 posted on 08/06/2010 12:30:07 PM PDT by Amberdawn
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To: Daffynition

13 posted on 08/06/2010 12:45:35 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Visualize)
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To: JoeProBono

14 posted on 08/06/2010 1:08:02 PM PDT by Daffynition (There is no other cheese.)
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To: Daffynition; decimon; NormsRevenge; neverdem; Coleus; BenLurkin

Cue the Bee Gees.


15 posted on 08/07/2010 7:43:09 AM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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To: SunkenCiv
Cue the Bee Gees.

Stayin' aliiiiiive...

16 posted on 08/07/2010 8:03:56 AM PDT by decimon
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