SYDNEY, April 10, 2002 (LSN.ca) – For the first time, scientists are attempting to use adult stem cells to repair heart damage. Surgeons at Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital north of Sydney announced today that they had extracted stem cells from 74-year-old patient Jim Nichol's bone marrow then injected them back into his heart wall to stimulate blood vessel growth in areas which lacked sufficient blood supply.
Reuters reports that Nichol was discharged from hospital on Tuesday. Doctors will monitor his condition for six months. The trial is part of an international investigation also being carried out in Hong Kong and China.
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