The Possibility of Cardiac Cell Regeneration

Host: Janet Wright, MD Guest: Stefan Jovinge, MD, PhD A growing body of evidence tells us human cardiomyocytes are capable of endogenous regeneration. The concept has been debated in medicine for some time, but as more data accumulate behind this theory, it is very tempting to think about novel treatment strategies. Dr. Stefan Jovinge, director of the cardiovascular group at the Lund Stem Cell Centre at Lund University in Sweden, associate professor and head of the coronary intensive care unit at Lund University Hospital, talks with host Dr. Janet Wright about his research published in the journal Science which provides compelling evidence of human cardiomyocyte renewal. How might the possibilities of endogenous cardiac cell regeneration change the dynamic of care for conditions like myocardial infarction?