Stem cells offer promise — not more — for heart disease

Much as we need a way to fix damaged heart muscle, stem cell therapy isn't just around the corner.

Cardiologists have long thought that damage from a heart attack is permanent, something to be coped with rather than fixed. Some visionaries are aiming to change that, driven by the tantalizing promise of stem cells. They are nudging the notion that humans can regenerate the heart, like a salamander can grow a new tail or leg, away from myth and science fiction toward the doctor's office.