Scientists in Israel have been able to transmute skin cells into working heart cells. This method is derived from the use of human-induced pluripotent stem cells or hiPSCs, which are an alternative to embryonic stem cells. Imagine an old man being given a heart that has the same power as his own from when he was a child, without the need for drugs to prevent graft rejection which carry their own risks of significant morbidity. This is a fantastic breakthrough, considering the global burden of heart disease with cardiac-related deaths reaching 216 per 100,000 people in some areas.
Professor Lior Gepstein, professor of cardiology and physiology at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa however acknowledged that this method is still far off from everyday use in humans although clinical trials should begin in five to ten years.
MEDICAL MAGICK 