On the rise world over, cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death. But we can finally take heart—it’s possible to ‘grow’ new arteries to replace damaged ones. Scientists at the Morgridge Institute for Research and University of Wisconsin, Madison, in the US, have discovered a technique whereby stem cells can be used to grow functional arterial endothelial cells that can exhibit specific functions of the body. The procedure was tested on mice with dying heart tissue; their bodies were able to successfully create new arteries, which improved their survival rate. The seven-year project sponsored by the National Institutes of Health is currently under experimentation. The findings were published in journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
October 2017