Back to news | 19th January 2026
At Skytrail, we’re proud to support the Heart Cells Foundation, an organisation driving life‑changing innovation in cardiac regenerative medicine. Across the UK, more than a million people live with heart failure, a condition that can severely limit daily life and, for many, offer few options beyond symptom management. But a new wave of regenerative medicine, with trials funded by the Heart Cells Foundation, is offering a level of hope that didn’t exist a decade ago.
A pioneering stem cell treatment, led by cardiologists at Barts Health NHS Trust, is demonstrating the ability to repair damaged heart tissue, potentially extending the lives of tens of thousands of people living with end stage heart failure. Early clinical results show that the procedure can regenerate heart muscle using stem cells taken from a patient’s own bone marrow, processed in a specialist lab, and reintroduced into the arteries supplying the heart. Patients have reported significant improvements in symptoms, mobility, and overall quality of life, in some cases within just weeks.
However, despite these promising outcomes, funding challenges mean the treatment is not yet available on the NHS. Only a limited number of patients currently receive it through charitable support, and this is where the work of the Heart Cells Foundation becomes transformative.
Heart Cells Foundation: Leading the UK’s first dedicated cardiac stem cell programme
The Heart Cells Foundation funds and drives the UK’s first dedicated clinical programme for cardiac stem cell therapy. Working alongside world leading cardiologists and researchers, the organisation is transforming how we treat heart failure by enabling treatment pathways that traditional medicine simply couldn’t‑ offer. Their trials have already shown measurable improvements in heart function, exercise capacity, and general wellbeing.
Crucially, the programme is preparing for a largescale Phase III clinical trial, the‑ last step before this treatment can be considered for widespread NHS use. With around 100,000 patients in the UK who could immediately benefit from this therapy, the potential impact is vast.
Why Skytrail supports the Heart Cells Foundation
At Skytrail, we believe in supporting meaningful, lifechanging innovation, especially when it improves the lives of individuals and families in our communities.‑
“We are proud to sponsor Heart Cells Foundation. Partnering with Heart Cells means supporting research that drives innovation, saves lives, and strengthens the future of cardiovascular care. This partnership is especially meaningful to us as it’s also a family connection.” says Neil Colney, Managing Director at Skytrail
Skytrail’s partnership with the Heart Cells Foundation reflects three shared commitments:
- Backing science that changes lives
Regenerative medicine is no longer abstract science, it is offering real, measurable improvements to patients who once had no further options. We’re proud to support an organisation helping to bring these innovations into mainstream care.
- Enabling access for all
The Heart Cells Foundation aims to make stem cell therapy available through the NHS, ensuring this breakthrough isn’t limited to private healthcare. Skytrail is aligned with this belief that pioneering treatments should be accessible to everyone who needs them.
- Supporting sustainable healthcare solutions
Stem cell therapy could potentially reduce the need for high cost, invasive procedures such as heart transplantation which can cost the NHS hundreds of thousands per patient. By supporting ‑early-stage clinical programmes, we are helping to build pathways that benefit‑ both patients and the wider healthcare system.
Want to support the future of regenerative heart medicine?
The progress being made in cardiac regenerative medicine is extraordinary. With further clinical trials and continued charitable support, the stem cell therapy pioneered in the UK could soon advance from a limited programme to a lifesaving treatment available across the NHS.
If your business is seeking to support organisations delivering truly transformative impact, take a look at the work of The Heart Cells Foundation, and discover how your support could help change the future of heart care.
Donate today
https://www.heartcellsfoundation.com/donate/