A team of scientists from the Pennsylvania State University have used stem cells to regenerate the cells that cover the exterior of the heart muscle. It is an incredible breakthrough that may lead to a complete heart being regrown using stem cells.

Researchers suggest that this discovery could be used to replace heart tissue damaged by a genetic defect, or heart disease. This research paper builds upon the previous discoveries relating to Wnt signalling pathways — protein conduits that help cells communicate with one another.

Scientists discovered that certain chemicals can be applied to these pathways to prompt cardiac stem cells to turn into the myocardium cells stem cells that make up the exterior portion of the heart muscle. Being able to generate the outer portion of the heart gives scientists the possibility of a heart regrown using stem cells.

Dr. Xiaojun Lance Lian describes the findings: “In 2012, we discovered that if we treated human stem cells with chemicals that sequentially activate and inhibit Wnt signaling pathway, they become myocardium muscle cells,” he continued, ”We needed to provide the cardiac progenitor cells with additional information in order for them to generate into epicardium cells, but prior to this study, we didn’t know what that information was. Now, we know that if we activate the cells’ Wnt signaling pathway again, we can re-drive these cardiac progenitor cells to become epicardium cells, instead of myocardium cells.”

Heart attacks are one of the most common medical conditions in the world and are responsible for 73,000 deaths in the United Kingdom annually. If a patient survives a heart attack, their heart is usually scarred and has its function impaired. Scientists hope this new treatment will be able to repair the scarred tissue and improve heart function.

Eventually scientists hope these findings may lead to a complete heart being regrown using stem cells.

Source: Outer layer of human heart regrown using stem cells

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