The Debate over the Existence of Heart Stem Cells Continues

Does the adult heart contain a sizable population of dormant stem cells that can be roused to acts of regeneration in order to rebuild lost or damaged muscle? If this is the case, then regenerative treatments will be easier to construct, in the form of signaling to direct native stem cells. If not, then the road to such treatments is much less straightforward, requiring the delivery of cells capable of regeneration, as well as the instructions for those cells, or perhaps the conversion of scar tissue cells into heart muscle. The research community is presently engaged in a debate of evidence and hypothesis over whether or not the claimed heart stem cell populations actually exist in adult individuals. This latest entry to this debate is a gloomy one, in which the researchers provide evidence for there to be no stem cells in the heart capable of regenerating heart muscle in response to damage. Debates of this nature are actually fairly common in the field. Specific cell populations can be hard to isolate, and different groups may or may not be looking at the same cells as they argue with one another. One might look at the controversy over very small embryonic-like stem cells some years ago, for example. I hesitate to offer an opinion on the topic, save to note that firm answers will be established in the end - it is just a question of how long that takes. During a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, the blood supply to part of the he...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs