Cell regeneration as an alternative to transplantation
The discovery of stem cells in the heart may be a radical change in infarcted patients chances of avoiding the risks of transplant. The stem cells, stem cells or stem cells are those that can divide indefinitely while retaining the ability to transform into cells of more than 200 different tissues of the body, ie they are multipotent (the limitation of this concept is currently under discussion), or they can differentiate and mature resulting in a particular tissue.
It was known that are present in embryonic development and in bone marrow and skin of adults, but with new technological advances that are demonstrated in almost all tissues allowing for some degree of regeneration or repair.
Cellular therapy:
Many factors currently driving medical research toward finding alternatives to transplantation for patients with heart failure. The limitations of the medical treatment, as the shortage of organs and the risk of rejection, or the growing possibility of some heart muscle and endothelial tissue from stem cells, lead to cell therapy.
Today, the field of stem cell research seems limitless: regenerative medicine, immunotherapy and gene therapy. However, many obstacles still have to overcome, especially those related to therapeutic cloning.
As an example of the potential treatment will note here the case published by Science in April 2000, two babies with a genetic birth defect that caused them severe immunodeficiency were transplanted with their own stem cells, which had changed the defective gene. It was the first successful gene therapy.
Use of cardiomyocytes in myocardial repair:
The notion that certain organs such as heart or brain are fully differentiated into adulthood and therefore are unable to take cell regeneration, both for replacement as repair is being finally overcome. Numerous studies in animals have shown in recent years that stem cells migrate from the bone marrow after a heart attack to the heart to regenerate the myocardium. Similarly, they have discovered stem cells in adult brains can produce new neurons.
The evidence presented in June 2001, New England Journal of Medicine could definitely discredit the old dogma that the heart does not regenerate after injury. Dr. Piero Antwerp and colleagues reported the existence of a significant number of cardiomyocytes in the area surrounding the infarct. Cardiomyocytes are involved in the process of cell regeneration.
