Embryonic Stem Cells Turned Into Three Types of Heart Cells

(HealthDay News) -- A multinational team of researchers has succeeded in turning human embryonic stem cells into three types of human heart muscle cells.

When transplanted, the cells also improved heart function in mice.

The findings have a number of implications, the most immediate of which would be to use the cells to test drugs.

"We have now a supply of human heart cells for biotech and drug companies to start testing the beneficial effects of drugs or the toxic effects of drugs," said Gordon Keller, senior author of a paper published in this week's issue of Nature. "There are really no roadblocks in beginning to set up such tests."

Researchers may also be able to use the cells to make artificial heart tissue, which could then be transplanted into an actual human heart.

"It's not clear how effective injecting cells directly into the heart ever will be," said Keller, who is director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at University Health Network in Toronto. "A huge advantage we have is that these unique progenitor cells can make three of the major types of cells in the heart, so we hope we can simply seed these progenitor cells onto scaffolding and make what might be an artificial piece of heart tissue and possibly transplanting such small pieces of tissue, and engrafting them into the heart, would be more effective than transplanting the cells themselves."

Keller's lab had previously succeeded in coaxing cardiac cells out of mouse embryonic cells.

For this study, the team used similar principles, applying specific growth factors at different stages of development, but in human embryonic stem cells.

"They're showing that different 'recipes' can induce different types of cardiac cells," said Paul Sanberg, director of the Center for Aging and Brain Repair at the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa.

In this way, the researchers were able to isolate heart progenitor cells then coax them into three different types of heart cells, called cardiomyocytes, which make up functioning heart muscle.

"Now we have our hands on a cell that doesn't have the same developmental potential as embryonic stem cells but can still make three of the major types of heart cells," Keller explained. "When we have these cells in isolation, we have a better handle on directing their pathway to cells that beat, or other [cardiac] cells. That's much more difficult when we haven't isolated the cells."

Also, when these cells were transplanted, they didn't form tumors, which often happens when a group of cells is more mixed. "In essence, we have isolated the most immature human heart cells, and we think we can control these cells much better than we would if we were starting with embryonic stem cells," Keller said.

The findings will help researchers better understand how the heart develops in humans, but therapeutic applications are still a ways off.

"It's important that we understand the basic biology," Sanberg said. "But it's still going to be a while till we see this in the clinic."

More information
The National Institutes of Health has more on stem cells.

Filling in the Alzheimer's 'Race Gap'

(HealthDay News) -- A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is wrenching, especially for family members of the patient.

But certain races and ethnic groups, including Hispanics and blacks, are more likely to labor under misconceptions about the disease, often wrongly viewing it as a normal part of aging, researchers are learning.

And that often leads to delays in seeking care, when early treatment might make a difference in the progression of the mind-wasting disorder.

In a recent survey conducted for the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, researchers found that Hispanic and black caregivers were more likely to believe that the symptoms of Alzheimer's weren't a disease but just part of growing old. Thirty-seven percent of black caregivers and 33 percent of Hispanic ones thought that was the case, compared to 23 percent of caregivers from other racial or ethnic groups.

Black and Hispanic caregivers were also more likely to say they did not know much about the disease.

The results of the survey highlight the need for more education about the disease, so all Americans can be given the chance to get appropriate treatment, experts said.

Eric Hall, founding chief executive officer of the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, called the survey results "distressing," adding, "Lack of an early diagnosis leaves families at a point of chaos and crisis, wondering, 'How do I care for my loved one?' "

"In the absence of a cure, care becomes a critical issue to sustain the highest quality of life for the longest time," Hall said.

The impact of Alzheimer's affects different groups of people differently in many ways, explained Angela Geiger, vice president of constituent relations for the Alzheimer's Association. For instance, she said, the disease is more prevalent among blacks than whites, and Latinos are more likely to exhibit symptoms earlier.

Given these differences, organizations such as the Alzheimer's Foundation of America and the Alzheimer's Association have created programs and other resources to reach out to different populations. For instance, publications on warning signs and other information about the disease are available in Spanish and in English, Geiger said.

"We've created a series of culturally appropriate publications tailored to African-Americans and Latinos," she said.

Alzheimer's disease affects more than 5 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, and that number is expected to rise to 8 million by 2030 as the population ages. It's currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

So, what can people do to recognize the disease earlier and get help for a loved one? Educating yourself about the symptoms is one way. Both the Alzheimer's Foundation of America and the Alzheimer's Association offer information about the disorder on their Web sites. That information includes specifics on the differences between normal aging -- for instance, forgetting a word now and then -- and symptoms of Alzheimer's -- forgetting the name for common objects and calling a toothbrush "the thing for my mouth," for example.

"I think, overall, that the nation at large has a very poor understanding of what dementia is," Hall said.

If you suspect a loved one is in the early stages of Alzheimer's, Geiger suggests that you reach out for assistance and guidance. Ask your loved one's health-care provider for an evaluation, for starters.

"Work with your health-care provider to get that diagnosis as early as possible, because there are things you can do," she said, adding that behavioral interventions and medicines are two options.

More information
To learn more about Alzheimer's disease, visit the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.