Japanese researchers have just received permission to use a new stem cell therapy to treat patients with heart disease. If successful, this revolutionary stem cell therapy might eventually save millions of lives around the world.

Heart disease, also called cardiovascular disease, refers to a variety of conditions including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure and stroke. It is a common condition, with about 1 in 4 people living in developed countries dying from heart disease.

The Japanese research team, led by cardiac surgeon Yoshiki Sawa, is using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) in the trial. They are powerful cells that have the ability to change into many other types of cells, including heart cells. The researchers generated the iPS cells from each subject’s own skin cells. This meant that the cells were fully compatible with each subject’s body and would not be rejected by their immune system.

The research team created sheets of 100 million heart cells using the iPS cells. Each sheet was 0.1 millimeters thick by 4 centimeters long. They then used animal trials to test if they could successfully graft the stem cells onto a heart to improve its function. Although the sheets didn’t join the heart muscle, they somehow triggered tissue regeneration in the heart.

The success of the initial animal trials helped the team receive permission from the Japanese government to test the treatment on humans. Initially, the trials will involve three patients but if they are successful, a larger 10-person trial will be attempted.

If this stem cell therapy proves to be successful, it could potentially save many lives each year.

Source: Japan Approves Revolutionary Stem Cell Technique to Treat Heart Disease

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