KICK START THAT HEART

KICK START THAT HEART

RALEIGH, N.C. (Wireless Flash) – Kick-starting a bum heart may be a literal experience in the near future. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center will soon test a procedure that uses human leg muscles to repair damaged heart muscles. In a previous experiment, the scientists replaced heart muscle cells in a rabbit with muscle cells taken from the animal’s leg. Now, they want to determine whether the same approach will work in humans. Molecular biologist Doris Taylor – who formulated the technique – says human testing will likely take place in the U.S. later this year. Meanwhile, researchers at a hospital in Rotterdam, Holland, have already started a safety trial using Taylor’s procedure.