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Stem Cells From Fat Create Beating Heart Cells

Posted by kdawson on from the for-the-love-of-god-montressor dept.

Amenacier writes "Melbourne scientists recently discovered that stem cells isolated from human fat could be made to turn into beating heart muscle cells when cultured with rat heart cells. This discovery may lead to the use of fat stem cells in repairing cardiac damage, or fixing such cardiac problems as holes in the heart. It is proposed that culturing the stem cells with rat heart cells allows them to differentiate into heart muscle through signals from the rat cells. In the future it may be possible to inject/transplant the stem cells into the damaged area and have them naturally differentiate into the type of cell required, with only the natural stimuli provided by surrounding cells, without any danger of rejection by the body. Quoting: 'The next step is to implant the human heart cells onto the damaged heart of a laboratory rat to see whether they repair the heart. Then they would be trialled in higher species such as sheep and pigs before human applications could be considered. Clinical application could be five years away ...'" The Age has a multimedia treatment (Flash) of the discovery.

15 of 198 comments (clear)

  1. Rat hearted overlords? by rubies · · Score: 5, Funny

    Nah. We've already got those.

    1. Re:Rat hearted overlords? by Rod+Beauvex · · Score: 5, Funny

      I ask that all rat lovers mod parent down for such an insult to rats everywhere.

  2. Oh the irony... by gillbates · · Score: 4, Funny

    That from the fat of the overweight American comes the cure for heart disease brought on by his poor diet!

    With two thirds of Americans overweight, this is promising news.

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    The society for a thought-free internet welcomes you.
    1. Re:Oh the irony... by plasmacutter · · Score: 3, Funny

      That from the fat of the overweight American comes the cure for heart disease brought on by his poor diet!

      With two thirds of Americans overweight, this is promising news.

      for THEM..

      what about thin people like me.. they'll live forever now and have more fat daughters >: |

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      VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
    2. Re:Oh the irony... by Barny · · Score: 5, Funny

      And we shall harvest them, oh yes the time of the great fat farm is at hand.

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      ...
      /me sighs
    3. Re:Oh the irony... by denttford · · Score: 4, Funny

      Meh.

      I want my stem cells the right way, derived from the tortured souls of aborted cherubic foetuses. Enough to fill the dancefloor atop the head of a pin.

      The immortality of one can not be achieved but by the suffering of many.
      This is just dishonest.

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      Leben Sie jetzt die Fragen.
    4. Re:Oh the irony... by cgenman · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm not vegging out on the couch. I'm building up my stem-cell reserves.

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      The ______ Agenda
  3. Re:frosty piss by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 4, Funny

    Pabst Brewing co., is that you?

  4. Tuesday is my Fat-Heart group... by retech · · Score: 5, Funny

    So the plan was to get the entire world to bulk up and then sell their fat back to them as a means to save them...

    the first rule of stem cell research is you don't talk about stem cell research.

    1. Re:Tuesday is my Fat-Heart group... by wdef · · Score: 2, Funny

      The first rule about fat club is you don't talk about fat club.

  5. Re:Better hope by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    When "research" includes such things as "discovering that other nations exist," we are well and truly fucked.

  6. Re:frosty piss by moosesocks · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yep, I just said that a beer didn't taste bad, and then went on to say that all beer tastes bad.

    Ah. I guess that means you're drunk :-P

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    -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
  7. reading sideway... by Monkey-some · · Score: 4, Funny

    I did saw "stem cells extracted from human farts..." had to re-read it a second time wondering where the science could ever stop

  8. Way to a man's heart... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    This is just a really roundabout way to prove that the way to man's heart is through his stomach.

    Feed a man lots of fatty foods, he gets fat.
    Turn those fat cells into stem cells.
    Turn those stem cells into heart cells.
    Done.

  9. Dual Operation by kiick · · Score: 2, Funny

    Liposuction + heart fix
    Come out thinner and heart-healthy, all in one swell foop (without all that tedious dieting and exercise).
    Someone is going to make a fortune.