Bioengineers at Duke University believe they have found a way to grow a living heart patch that will aid in the repair of heart tissue damaged by disease.
Researchers announced they mimicked the way embryonic stem cells develop into heart muscle in a lab. Using mouse embryonic stem cells, the bioengineers used a novel mold of their own design to fashion a three-dimensional "patch" made up of heart muscle cells.
The new tissue exhibited the two most important attributes of heart muscle cells -– the ability to contract and to conduct electrical impulses. The researchers grew the cells in an environment much like that found in natural tissues.
The scientists reported that they were able to grow heart muscle cells that were able to contract with strength and carry electric impulses quickly. One of the major challenges they still face is establishing a blood vessel supply to sustain the patch.
The researchers plan to test their model using non-embryonic stem cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that some cells from human adults have the ability to be reprogrammed to become similar to embryonic stem cells.
Posted by Jesse Slome
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