Eduardo Silva has received a grant from the American Heart Association Grant to identify the best types of stem cells to fight cardiovascular disease, and how to deliver them into the body.  The study will examine ways to protective benefit to the cardiovascular system and limit vascular disease progression. As people get older their risk of heart diseases increase. By producing new blood vessels, the body can fight cardiovascular disease. However, with age progression, cells become less able to create new blood vessels. Introducing new stem cells into the aged body could stimulate new blood vessel production. The project aims to answer two key questions: a) how to identify the most capable stem cell population and b) what is the best way to deliver stem cells into the body. The Silva lab has identified a subpopulation of stem cells that dramatically enhance the formation of new blood vessels. The new funding will allow them to develop and test new methods to isolate and expand the number of this highly capable stem cell subpopulation. If successful, this project may result in new and innovative approaches to the treatment of ischemic vascular diseases.