New heart disease treatment going on trial in Australia
17th Oct 2005, 18:55 GMT
Clinical trials of a new heart disease treatment developed by researchers at Melbourne, Australia-based biotech company Mesoblast are set to begin within two months. If all goes well, their anti-heart disease medication could be on the market within three years. They've found a rare cell in bone marrow that, when injected into a patient, can trigger the regrowth of heart muscle and arteries. The treatment involves injecting adult stem cells into a patient immediately following a heart attack. The treatment can prevent heart failure following an attack, and could also potentially be used to repair the heart muscle of people diagnosed with chronic heart disease. A clinical trial of 10 heart disease patients will start within two months at Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital, with a larger trial planned in the US and Australia for next year. Read Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments