Heart cells beating in a Petri dish offer new hope to heart patients

February 3, 2014

(The Guardian) – Long QT causes serious disruptions to the heartbeat and is associated with a range of symptoms. At its most serious, the condition can set off a problem called an arrhythmia, which can result in heart failure. Some families discover they are affected by long QT only when a member, sometimes a child, dies. About 30,000 people are thought to have the condition in the UK. Treatments can mitigate the worst effects of long QT, but these can have serious side-effects. Now, however, hopes of countering long QT’s worst effects have been boosted by scientists working on a pioneer project involving stem cell technology.