Heart: Current Research on Isolation or Production of Therapeutic Cells

Stem cells have opened a new vista of research in the field of medicine and have given birth to a new discipline, Regenerative Medicine. With the advent of new information about these cells, the trend is shifting from treating a disease toward curing a disease. Stem cells have two unique properties of self-renewal: dividing and restoration of their own self and differentiation, and dividing and giving rise to a functionally mature cell. Most of the human body organs have stem cells, [Page 514]where their primary role is either to restore cell number (e.g., digestive tract), or to heal the tissue lost as a result of wear and tear. Recent studies have shown that the human heart contains stem cells, but more has yet to be ...