A 45-year-old member asked:
Does stem cell research help with congenital heart disease?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Alex Goldenanswered
24 years experience
Amazing Potential: We are a ways off from treating chd with stem cells, but i know of research that is ongoing to improve heart function after surgery using cardiac stem cells. I believe that we will also see stem cells used to modulate immune response in transplant patients (some chd patients go on to transplantation). These technologies that I have mentioned use stem cells that are not derived from embryos.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Marc Levineanswered
51 years experience
Maybe: There are a lot of possibilities. Stem cells are used to repair damaged hearts in adults in experimental protocols. There is also work being done trying to treat heart valve valves with stem cells so they are not broken down after a few years (see 60 minutes.Com, growing body parts about 3 years ago). Maybe even growing a new heart is possible; it been done in rats.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Apr 2, 2016
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