A German medical team has developed and tested a possible treatment for people with severe heart failure that could potentially help millions of cardiac patients around the world. It is based on body cells that are converted into stem cells in the laboratory.

A patch made from lab-grown muscle cells boosted heart function in monkeys with cardiovascular disease and is now being tested in humans

Innovative muscle patches derived from stem cells demonstrate efficacy in heart repair, improving function in primates and a human patient, with trials ahead.

Results from rhesus macaques provide solid ground for a first-in-human investigation of heart repair with stem cell-derived engineered heart muscle. The study is a milestone for the clinical application of the "heart patch" as an innovative treatment option for patients with advanced heart failure at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and University Medical Center Schleswig-Hostein,

The technology could give new hope to millions of people with advanced heart failure whose treatment options are currently limited, the German researchers say. Based on early results of a small trial in humans and promising tests in monkeys,

Patches of beating, lab-grown muscle sewn into failing hearts can keep patients alive for years while they wait for a transplant, scientists have shown.