71 year-old Check Emrick of Middletown, Pennsylvania was recently injected with stem cells isolated and grown from a biopsy of his skeletal thigh muscle. The injection of the stem cells was performed during a routine artery bypass. The cells were injected at different points where the heart is damaged.
A critical factor in the success of this process is the fact that there's no risk for rejection since the patient's own cells are being used. Cincinnati's WLWT Eyewitness News reported that Researchers and surgeons claim that the potential for cells to convince the heart to grow muscle is enormous. “The potential application of these technologies to the treatment to prevent congestive heart failure are immense,” lead investigator Dr. Dean Kereiakes said.