Artificial cardiac tissue tested successfully

British researchers reported at the meeting of the British cardiac society in Manchester, about how laboratory-grown heart tissue to successfully have the rabbit tested. The thumb-sized tissues contain stem cells, which support the heart muscle after a heart attack.

Researchers led by Professor Sian Harding at Imperial College London have developed a method to grow heart tissue in a size of 3 x 2 cm, containing up to 50 million human stem cells. The cells are programmed in such a way that they transform into a functioning heart muscle. One or more of these patches are intended to be implanted on the heart of people after a heart attack, in order to support the damaged heart muscle physically and to increase the pump efficiency. At the same time, the cultured tissue releases natural substances that stimulate heart cells to repair and Regeneration.

In animal experiments, it was demonstrated that the heart tissue resulted in rabbits to an improvement in heart function after a heart attack. Detailed heart scans showed that the heart recovered without abnormal heart occurring rhythms, and that the new tissue of blood vessels-nourished, growing from the recipient heart.

During a myocardial infarction, the heart suffers a lack of vital nutrients and oxygen, causing parts of the heart muscle to die. This weakens the body and can eventually lead to heart failure. The heart tissue from the lab could cure one day, congestive heart failure, the hope of the researcher.

ZOU