Congratulations to Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) student Diya Grover, who earned third author credit in collaboration with other Canadian researchers for their published study, Stem cell therapy for heart failure: Medical breakthrough, or dead end? in the April 2021 issue of World Journal of Stem Cells. The paper examined clinical trials examining the regeneration potential of stem cells in heart failure patients.
Heart failure is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. As the heart lacks significant regeneration potential, novel therapeutic approaches incorporate the use of stem cells to treat heart failure because of to their ability to self-renew. “Although there are still multiple concerns around this topic, like safety/ethics and the lack of supporting evidence, the positive outcomes of clinical trials further motivates researchers to continue the study of this potential therapeutic approach,” says Diya. “It makes the possible future use of stem cell therapy for heart failure a strong possibility.”
Diya’s interest in cardiology began during a medical observership with Dr. Rony Atoui (MSc, MD, FRCSC, FACS), a cardiac surgeon in her hometown of Sudbury, Ontario. “After watching my first coronary bypass surgery, I not only fell in love with surgery, but also started developing an interest in cardiology and wanted to study cardiac pathology in its entirety,” says Diya. She jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Atoui’s team in the research and writing of the study on the use of stem cells.
Diya will be starting clinical rotations as she enters her third year at RUSM, applying what she’s learned in her basic sciences courses. In the future, she aspires to specialize in the treatment of heart failure and will follow the efficacy of stem cell therapy. “As we learn more about stem cells and their ability to improve cardiac function, the more confident and optimistic we get about the potential of this approach and its usage in the future.”