Neonatal Heart Stem Cells Can Treat Heart Problems in children, says University of Maryland study

Researchers at the University of Maryland have found that neonatal stem cells have stronger regenerative abilities, almost three times as effective, than stem cells derived from adults.

In explaining the impact of this finding, Sunjay Kaushal, the senior author of the study, said “The surprising finding is that the cells from neonates are extremely regenerative and perform better than adult stem cells. We are extremely excited and hopeful that this new cell-based therapy can play an important role in the treatment of children with congenital heart disease, many of whom don’t have other options.”

He also believes that this development might work as stand-alone therapy or even contribute to surgical and medical treatment as well.

With the number of cases of heart failure in children on the rise as opposed to adults, this finding also complements research where it has been found that several types of cardiac stem cells can help repair a broken heart.

Samples of heart tissue used for the study was obtained from 13 adults and 43 neonates, and were observed both in animal models as well as in the lab. Also, a comparison was made between the controls (that weren’t given the stem cells) and the animal models.

While Dr. Kaushal is not sure why these neonatal stem cells performed so well, there are two reasons that might explain this phenomenon. Firstly, a larger number of stem cells exist in a baby’s heart and secondly, the release of more growth factors that aid in the preservation and development of blood vessels.