The distribution and characteristics of endogenous cardiac stem cells in the adult human heart
The BHF Clinical Research Training Fellowship is providing three years of funding totalling over £200,000 to consultant surgeon Mr Prakash Punjabi and a team at Imperial College. Together they will investigate the use of stem cells to treat heart disease. Researchers know that the adult heart contains stem cells, which have the capacity to regenerate into specialised fully functioning heart cells. However, little is known about the properties of these cells and how these may be affected by heart disease. The team will collect stem cells from samples of the four different chambers of the human heart. They will do this for healthy individuals and also from people with heart disease or heart failure. The team will compare stem cell growth and development into adult heart cells from these different groups to identify any important differences. This information will help the team and the wider medical community understand how the heart’s own stem cells may one day be harvested and used in the field of regenerative medicine. The application to cardiovascular disease is wide-ranging: for example, stem cells may one day be used to help repair and replace lost heart tissue after a heart attack.
Project details
| Grant amount | £222,311 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Fellowships |
| Application type | Clinical Research Training Fellowship |
| Start Date | 01 February 2014 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | FS/14/14/30621 |
| Status | Complete |
