Preventing Heart Attack Damage

One of the next advances in first generation autologous stem cell therapies is to bring them to the patient faster - try to prevent damage rather than repair it further down the line, in other words. From the Times Online: "There have been a couple of clinical trials in Germany to demonstrate that the technique is safe. In these trials, the bone marrow cells were given late, some time after the heart attack, in order to repair the muscle. We believe that if we give it immediately, it can prevent damage. We will show whether it works in acute heart attack - and the treatment will involve no extra stay in hospital and virtually no extra cost. ... There is good animal evidence in rats and mice that it will work. There are no drugs involved, and nothing to patent, so if the treatment works it will be available to all who can benefit, without extra cost."

Link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2442885,00.html

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