- Stem cells are self-renewing cells often taken from embryos, umbilical cords, and amniotic fluid, which are particularly useful, or thought to have potential, in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and PH.
- Pulmonary hypertension, also known as pulmonary arterial hypertension, is caused when the arteries which carry blood to the lungs become hardened and constrict, resulting in high blood pressure as the heart tries to pump harder to move the blood through.
- In 2008, an international medical team, led by Dr. Leonel Fernandez Liriano and funded in part by the Alliance for the Advancement of Adult Stem Cell Therapy and Research, announced their success in the first adult stem cell treatment of a PH patient using the patient's own blood.
- Another clinical trial studied bone marrow stem cells in the treatment of PH using rats, which yielded positive preliminary results, justifying further research on the issue.
- In order to treat PH using stem cells, the cells must be extracted and then differentiated, or programmed, in order to become new blood vessels, before being injected into the patient's blood stream.
