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Apr 27
Heart hope in stem cell discovery
Thousands of heart patients' lives could be saved by a breakthrough in stem cell research.

Scientists have extracted stem cells from leg veins removed for heart bypass surgery and reproduced them in the lab.

The vibrant new cells can then be injected back into a patient's heart to stimulate growth of new blood vessel tissue.

Prof Paolo Madeddu, of the Bristol University team which did the work, said: "Around 20,000 people have heart bypass surgery in Britain every year.

"Surgeons always cut out a longer piece of vein than they need, so there is always a left-over piece.

"From those cells removed we should be able to create treatments, made up of the patient's own cells, after they have had heart attacks.

"In the future we might even be able to freeze and store the cells."

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