The future possibilities of regenerative Medicine are endless. Know how regenerative medicine for heart diseases is better than conventional treatments.

Written by Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : October 5, 2022 9:52 AM IST

In the past few days, news of people dying due to cardiac arrest and heart attack during the festivities have been making headlines. Concerningly, increasing number of younger people, precisely adults who are in their 30s, are getting heart problems today. Health experts have been advising people to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent heart diseases or at least delay their onset. Also, tremendous advancements have been made in the field of cardiology making treatment of heart ailments more effective and less invasive. One of them is regenerative medicine, which is now being explored for the treatment of several diseases.

Get to more about regenerative medicine and its possibilities for treating heart diseases from Dr Pradeep Mahajan, Regenerative Medicine Researcher, Stem Rx Bioscience Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Navi Mumbai.

An alarming one out of four deaths in our country today is due to heart disease. This is largely due to our sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, and stress. Barring the heart conditions that are present from birth (congenital) or that are passed down through the generations (inherited), heart diseases can be prevented or at least the onset can be delayed by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The field of cardiology (relating to the heart) has advanced tremendously, and there are several medications and surgical procedures that help patients maintain the functions of the heart. However, these call for invasive treatments and the need for life-long medications. Moreover, the side effects of medicines should also be taken into account.

Enter the field of Regenerative Cardiology! As the word suggests, this branch refers to utilising the natural healing potential of the body to repair and re-grow damaged heart tissues. Stem cells have been researched in several heart diseases to overcome the damage to the heart and facilitate healing. Not just stem cells, but cell-based products like exosomes, molecular chaperones, growth factors etc. have shown promise as well. Do not think about the technicalities, all these molecules are present in our body and researchers and clinicians are now working on how to apply these for the treatment of several diseases.

Commonly, we hear of blocks in the heart, infection, and weak muscles of the heart that do not pump blood properly leading to various diseases. With cell-based therapies, we can tackle each of these issues. Stem cells (the most basic 'unspecialized' cells of our body) can multiply and form various cells of the body, including heart cells. Similarly, cell products like exosomes are cargo packets they carry the required substances for repair and re-growth of tissues. These biological molecules have 'housekeeping functions, meaning that they ensure that any unwanted product and even bacteria/viruses are removed periodically from the body.

The possibilities of Regenerative Medicine for heart diseases are many blocks in the heart can be dissolved, blood supply can be improved, heart muscles can be strengthened, etc. because these biological molecules are capable of reducing inflammation (swelling) in the body, modify the immune system to function better, enhance the functions of other cells, etc. Since these are part of our own body, providing these molecules in the appropriate quantity at the desired site will enhance healing without side effects. In fact, there is ongoing research on growing healthy heart tissue in labs with these biological molecules to transplant them into the human body. Who knows, someday the whole heart might be grown in a lab! While the future possibilities are endless, the current cell-based therapies can be a definitive addition to enhance the outcomes of existing conventional treatments. Of course, rehabilitation and lifestyle modifications are mandatory to maintain the results.

A holistic approach is important one cannot simply rely on symptom management the core issues have to be targeted and Regenerative Medicine can do just that. The death rate due to heart disease can be reduced and patients will be able to have a better quality of life.

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Regenerative Medicine For Heart Diseases: How It Is Better Than Conventional Treatments | TheHealthSite.co - TheHealthSite