Published: 01:23 AM, 30 August 2026 Last Update: 01:23 AM, 30 August 2026
Stem cell therapy could replace heart transplants
A stem cell therapy trialled in China has shown signs of reversing severe heart failure in nine out of 10 patients, offering a potential alternative to transplants in a field where donor organs remain critically scarce.
Researchers at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital injected stem cells into 10 heart failure patients and monitored their progress over 12 months.
Nine showed significant improvements in heart function, with symptoms reduced to a mild level that allowed them to carry out normal daily activities.
Patients also reported substantial relief from chest tightness and shortness of breath.
The therapy works by taking the patient's own body cells and reprogramming them into unspecialised cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs.
These are then converted into heart muscle cells and injected directly into damaged areas of the heart, where they prompt new tissue growth and help restore the function of weakened cardiac muscle.
A control group of 10 patients underwent standard coronary artery bypass surgery instead.
Only six of them reached a comparable level of improvement, and one died eight months after the procedure.
No severe adverse effects were reported among those who received the stem cell treatment, reports The Independent. Patients in the stem cell group also performed significantly better on a six-minute walking test -- nearly double the improvement seen in the surgical control group, according to the study.
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump blood effectively, causing symptoms including shortness of breath, fatigue, leg swelling, rapid weight gain, and persistent coughing.
Heart transplants remain the main curative treatment, but the global shortage of donor organs means many patients never receive one.
The researchers said the therapy also appeared to slow the ageing of heart muscle, suggesting another potential long-term benefit beyond immediate functional recovery.
The trial was small, involving just 20 patients in total, and larger studies will be needed before the treatment can be considered for wider clinical use.
The results, based on a 12-month follow-up, have attracted attention from cardiologists and researchers in regenerative medicine.
