Heart Change

1998/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Medikuntza

A team of researchers at Duke University Hospital has been conducting tests with rabbits and according to the success obtained, the use of muscle tissues to strengthen weak hearts seems a very effective method. Once the heart attack has occurred, the heart tissue is left without oxygen and affected, and the heart may fail.

Therefore it is necessary to enhance in some way the heart tissues. The researchers caused a heart attack on several rabbits and then, some of them, took immature cells from the muscles of the legs and transplanted them to the heart tissues for development. Many of the rabbits who had this operation (about 60%) have fully developed these cells and had no problems completing them after cardiac operation. Now the next step would be to demonstrate this technique in humans if the hospital ethics council approves it.