Human heart valve from stem cells
A British research team led by the world’s
leading heart surgeon has grown part of a human heart from stem cells for the
first time.
A British research team led by the world’s
leading heart surgeon has grown part of a human heart from stem cells for
the first time. If animal trials scheduled for later this year prove successful,
replacement tissue could be used in transplants for the hundreds of thousands of
people suffering from heart disease within three
years.
If that trial works well, Prof Yacoub is optimistic that the replacement heart tissue, which can be grown into the shape of a human heart valve using specially-designed collagen scaffolds, could be used in patients within three to five years.
Growing a suitably-sized piece of tissue from a patient’s own stem cells would take around a month but he said that most people would not need such individualised treatment. A store of ready-grown tissue made from a wide variety of stem cells could provide good matches for the majority of the population.
Being able to tweak replacement bits and pieces with your own stem cells will help eliminate the barrier of tissue rejection. The same scientists guess they might be able to grow a complete human heart in another 10 years. Keep it up, folks. Replacement parts for human beings is a possibility that only scares the ignorant and timorous.
If that trial works well, Prof Yacoub is optimistic that the replacement heart tissue, which can be grown into the shape of a human heart valve using specially-designed collagen scaffolds, could be used in patients within three to five years.
Growing a suitably-sized piece of tissue from a patient’s own stem cells would take around a month but he said that most people would not need such individualised treatment. A store of ready-grown tissue made from a wide variety of stem cells could provide good matches for the majority of the population.
Being able to tweak replacement bits and pieces with your own stem cells will help eliminate the barrier of tissue rejection. The same scientists guess they might be able to grow a complete human heart in another 10 years. Keep it up, folks. Replacement parts for human beings is a possibility that only scares the ignorant and timorous.
Posted: Mon - April 2, 2007 at 06:12 AM