'Leftover' veins from heart surgery yield stem cells

Human veins left over from lifesaving bypass surgery could be a source of "master" cells to help treat future heart problems, say scientists. A University of Bristol team extracted stem cells from the veins, then used them to stimulate new blood vessel growth in mice, Circulation reports. The researchers say their findings could bring treatments to repair damaged heart muscle one step closer. However, a stem cell expert warned that they remained some years away. Stem cells are attractive to medical researchers because they have the ability to produce many different types of human cell, opening up the possibility of repair or renewal for tissues ravaged by disease or injury - BBC