Amniotic Fluid to Stem Cells to Heart Disease Cure for Infants

Who knew you could get stem cells from amniotic fluid? Dr. Simon Hoerstrup of the University Hospital in Zurich apparently did. Amniotic fluid is the stuff that babies float in before they're born. Doctors sometimes use a long, scary needle to take a sample of it from high-risk pregnant women so
they can diagnose genetic problems. Now Dr. Hoerstrup says the amniotic fluid could lead to stem cells that can heal babies with congenital heart defects. He reported his findings at the American Heart Association meeting in Chicago.

From HealthDay:

For this study, Hoerstrup and his colleagues extracted amniotic stem cells, created miniature heart scaffolds, then watched them grow into functioning valves.

"The concept is that we can obtain cells during pregnancy and use the cells to create a living heart valve replacement, which is ready to use at birth," Hoerstrup said. "Advantages are that they are made from the baby's own cells and are living and can grow with the baby later on."