In research on pigs, scientists test a new way to heal heart damage

Exosomes — tiny, RNA-laden packets spit out by cells — can help regenerate heart cells after a heart attack. A new study describes how scientists took programmable stem cells, developed them into three types of heart cells, and extracted exosomes from these cells, which were then used as treatment in pigs with myocardial infarction. Damaged heart cells treated with exosomes or parts of cardiac cells recovered better than pig cells treated with entire cardiac cells derived from stem cells. Scar tissue healed more and blood vessel growth also improved as a result of treatment with exosomes, an approach the scientists behind the study called "cell-less." Still, the benefits only lasted four weeks, and the authors are hoping future research will yield more sustained benefit.