Source: University of Auckland (UoA)Scientists have reversed diabetic heart failure with a genetic therapy in mice and in miniature human hearts made from stem cells. Scientists have reversed diabetic heart failure with a genetic therapy in mice and a miniature human hearts made from stem cells. In Aotearoa, New Zealand more than 300,000 people have diabetes and it is estimated that half of these have some form of heart damage which increases the risk of heart failure. “The heart needs a lot of energy to pump and we have shown this isn’t working well in the diabetic heart. “We’ve shown that fixing this energy recycling system in heart cells can reverse the damage caused by diabetes,” says Mellor.