A human heart credit :Science Photo Library
Magnetic cells can be used to rebuild damaged tissue after a heart attack, research in mice suggests.
Heart attacks occur when the supply of blood to the heart is blocked, usually by a blood clot, causing heart muscle cells to die. Many patients develop chronic heart failure, in which the heart has trouble pumping enough blood to the rest of the body.
An obvious solution is to replace the damaged heart muscle cells with new ones, such as those derived from stem cells. But studies have found that less than 5 per cent of new cells stay in place…
Article amended on 27 November 2017
Headline amended to specify when cells could be used
