Heart muscle precursors derived from embryonic stem cells

A few years ago Fred Lesikar suffered a major heart attack. He survived but his heart was badly damaged, so much so that even simple things like walking around the block left him exhausted.

Then Fred took part in an experimental therapy, getting a transplant of some of his own heart stem cells. The goal was to see if these stem cells could repair some of the damage caused by his heart attack. The therapy not only reduced scarring on his heart but Fred said he now has a lot more energy and feels he has his old life back.

Fred’s story is a hopeful indication that stem cells really do have the power to heal damage caused by a heart attack. But his story is just one element in a growing mosaic of approaches using stem cells to treat heart disease. There’s more about Fred’s story and the experimental treatment on our Stories of Hope page.

On Thursday, December 19th from noon till 1pm PT (3-4pm ET) we are going to hold a Google Hangout on heart disease, incuding Fred. It’s a free, interactive online chat with experts in the field exploring the different approaches that are being taken to treat heart disease; we’ll talk about the progress being made and the obstacles to be overcome.

Besides Fred Lesikar the Hangout will feature:
• Dr. Joseph Wu, Director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute
• Dr. Bruce Conklin, a Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes
• Dr. Cathy Priest, a Senior Science Officer at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

It promises to be a fascinating, engaging and educational look at the use of stem cells to treat heart disease.

To join the conversation all you have to do is click on this link.You will be able to watch the conversation and post questions to the experts. You can also email questions in advance to info@cirm.ca.gov or tweet them in advance or during the Hangout using the hashtag #askCIRM_heart.

We look forward to seeing you there

Kevin McCormack