S: Is for Stem Cells

Scans taken six months after patients received either stem cells or a placebo have shown an improvement in some hearts to pump blood. But doctors are not yet able to confirm if the improvements are in patients who received stem cells or those given the placebo. Professor Martin stated that, within a year, the doctors hoped to confirm whether stem cells could repair tissue damaged by a heart attack. In the trial, either stem cells or a salt solution were injected into the hearts of 28 patients as soon as they stabilised from emergency treatment to unblock their arteries following the heart attacks. The stem cells were then injected into the unblocked artery through a catheter also inserted into the groin. Doctors believe, from experiments carried out on animals, that the stem cells then travel through the artery and lodge in the damaged heart tissue.

Our bodies are remarkable machines and that is a F.A.C.T.