Stem Cell Heart Patches Advance Heart Failure Treatment

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking stem-cell technology that uses lab-grown heart muscle patches to stabilize patients with advanced heart failure. These patches, containing 400 million heart cells and made from induced pluripotent stem cells, have shown promising results in both human and monkey trials by improving cardiac function and integrating with the patient's blood vessels. A clinical trial demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach in a 46-year-old woman who remained stable until a heart transplant. Although primarily intended as a bridge to transplant, the patches offer hope for millions of heart failure patients globally, where donor hearts are scarce. This treatment, pioneered by teams at University Medical Center Göttingen and others, marks a significant advance in regenerative medicine, potentially revolutionizing heart failure management. However, long-term efficacy and safety in human trials remain under investigation, with a full-scale trial underway.