International Team of Scientists discovered Adult Stem Cells in the Heart

An international team of scientists led by Prof Richard Harvey of the University of New South Wales and colleagues at Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute discovered a new population of adult stem cells in the heart. The findings were piblished following recent reports that stem cells harvested from human hearts during surgery show promise for reversing heart attack damage.

Scients claimed in their findings, published in the latest edition of the 'Cell Stem Cell' journal  that the adult stem cells can augment the development of new regeneration and repair therapies for people who have suffered cardiac failure.

This is the first time this new population of stem cells was formally described, and its origins clearly defined. A mouse was used as a model system.

The first part of the study included the discovery and characterisation of a new population of multi-potent, adult stem cells that live in the heart . The stem cells were found to be powerful in dividing, and responding to their native environment to form whatever tissue is needed for repair. The new group of cells are multi-potent, and highly specific to the heart. These cells when translated into the human setting is expected to work well at regenerating and repairing a broken heart or a heart that has suffered injury through heart attack or heart failure.
The scientists  are of the opinion that population of cells are very high up in the stem cell hierarchy, and can generate a number of progenitor cells that would exist in a healthy heart, ready for action.