This is really encouraging stuff.
Stem cells develop heartbeat
By: Molly Sheetz /The Daily Cardinal – February 13, 2009
UW-Madison researchers have discovered a way to convert stem cells developed from adult skin cells into functional heart-muscle tissue, a breakthrough that could change the way the medical community treats heart disease.
A paper published Thursday in the scientific journal Circulation Research details the study conducted since 2007. Using induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, UW cardiologist Dr. Tim Kamp created heart-muscle cells that, under a microscope, visibly maintain a steady heartbeat…
…The iPS cells have been used for more than just heart muscle development. Dr. Clive Svendson of the UW-Madison School of Medicine and his lab have also successfully used these iPS cells to create motor neuron cells in a disease-model of spinal muscular atrophy…