Heart has Built-in Repair Mechanism, University College London Study

Researchers have for the first time succeeded in transforming a new type of stem-like cell in the adult heart, into heart muscle in mice. The study, led by UCL scientists and published online today in Nature, proves the heart has dormant repair cells in its outer layer that may be re-activated. The research suggests that in the future hearts damaged by a heart attack could be encouraged to repair themselves. The damage caused by a heart attack is currently permanent. It can lead to heart failure, which is debilitating, has a poor prognosis, and affects over 750,000 people in the UK.