STEM CELL THERAPY AFTER MYOCARDIAL

INFARCTION General public awareness

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are unspecialized cells that have the amazing potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can potentially divide without limit to replenish other cells that have been damaged. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a heart cell.

STEM ???• From which branches stem from

Cell

•The unit of life

STEM CELL????

Where can one find stem cells?• Stem cells can be found in many tissues in the body such as bone

marrow, fat, blood, and other organs like the heart. More immature stem cells can be found in the embryo, as well as the blood found in the umbilical cord of a newborn baby. The Stem Cell Center only uses adult stem cells in its research but no embryonic stem cells are not used in research very frequently

What diseases do stem cells treat?

• Stem cells, depending on where they come from, have been studied as a possible treatment strategy in numerous diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, burns, spinal cord injury, and more specifically heart disease. • Recently, numerous studies have shown the potential benefit of

implanting stem cells into the heart. The treatment of heart disease is the focus of the Stem Cell Center at the Texas Heart Institute. (Stem cell therapy is an investigational therapy and therefore no definitive claim can be made on the benefit for any single disease.)

How do stem cells work?

• It is not clear how stem cells work exactly. They may differentiate into the cells that surround them (a stem cell placed in the heart may become another heart cell), they may release hormones that help the surrounding tissue function more efficiently, or they may wake up the dormant stem cells in the tissue.• Even though we do not fully understand how stem cells work, one of

the goals of our research at the Stem Cell Center is to further our knowledge in this area.

How do you use stem cells to treat cardiovascular diseases?

• Stem cells can be injected into the veins, arteries, or directly into the heart muscle. After over 400 injections done safely using direct injection of stem cells from inside the chamber of the heart, the investigators at the Stem Cell Center now perform countless procedures for people all over the world.• In peripheral vascular disease, stem cells may be injected into the

veins, arteries, or directly into the lower leg muscles in hopes of regenerating new blood vessels.

• Picture of a Myostar™ Injection Catheter currently used in studies.

• Direct injection into myocardium using Myostar

For original source click the link follows

• STEM CELL THERAPY AFTER MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION