A major trial of stem cell treatments to repair damaged hearts is to be undertaken in Europe, it was announced yesterday.
Some 225 patients will take part in the study, approved by the European Medicines Agency.
The treatment will involve injecting stem cells into the heart within hours of a heart attack. Patients will also undergo angioplasty and insertion of stents.
The treatment to be used is known as Revascor and has been developed by Mesoblast Ltd.
The British Heart Foundation said it was still a "long way" from knowing whether the treatment would be affective.
Associate medical director Professor Jeremy Pearson said: “This experimental trial takes another step towards knowing whether cell therapy will be able to help repair damaged hearts safely.
"However, we are still a long way from knowing whether this particular therapy will succeed or whether other ways to encourage damaged heart tissue to repair will be more successful."
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