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Yaps
Human arteries grown from scratch
Lab-reared vessels may provide stockpile for bypass surgery.
6 June 2003
HELEN R. PILCHER
Patients would not reject arteries grown from their own muscle cells.
© alamy.com
Human arteries have been grown from scratch in the lab1. The technique could produce spare blood vessels for bypass surgery, researchers hope.
Every year in the US, 650,000 patients with coronary heart disease have bypass operations to improve the blood supply to their hearts. Surgeons use vessels from other parts of the body to circumvent blockages. These grafts often get clogged again, but after several operations patients run out of useable replacements.
The new procedure could grow a stockpile of donor-matched arteries, says Laura Niklason from Duke University Medical Center, Durham in North Carolina. So far her team has harvested four arteries, each 8 centimetres long and 3 millimetres across.
First they encourage ordinary human muscle cells to multiply. Then they add a gene called hTERT to make them live longer. Next they seed the cells on a hose-shaped scaffold of biodegradable polymer. After 2 months, the support dissolves leaving a "dense, muscular, tubular structure," says Niklason. Lining cells are then dropped inside to complete the artificial artery.
"We need to determine whether such vessels are safe [before they are transplanted]," says Asif Ahmed who works on veins and arteries at the UK's University of Birmingham. 90% of human tumours contain hTERT. Although the gene doesn't cause cancer by itself, it might encourage cells to continue to grow inside a vessel and block it, he cautions.
Can they withstand millions of cycles of the heart pumping?
David Williams
UK Centre for Tissue Engineering
Another step is to test the prototype arteries in the lab to see whether they can "withstand millions of cycles of the heart pumping," advises David Williams, head of the UK Centre for Tissue Engineering at Liverpool University. We need to find out "what it takes to burst them," he says.
If all goes well cardiac patients might not be the only ones to profit. Every year, up to 150,000 US patients have leg bypass surgery as an alternative to amputation and lab-reared arteries could connect kidney patients to dialysis machines.
With donor tissue hard to come by, researchers are racing to create a new generation of synthetic transplant organs including livers, lungs and kidneys. As these become reality, artificial blood vessels will be in demand. After all, "they're all going to need a blood supply," says Niklason.
Lab-reared vessels may provide stockpile for bypass surgery.
6 June 2003
HELEN R. PILCHER
Patients would not reject arteries grown from their own muscle cells.
© alamy.com
Human arteries have been grown from scratch in the lab1. The technique could produce spare blood vessels for bypass surgery, researchers hope.
Every year in the US, 650,000 patients with coronary heart disease have bypass operations to improve the blood supply to their hearts. Surgeons use vessels from other parts of the body to circumvent blockages. These grafts often get clogged again, but after several operations patients run out of useable replacements.
The new procedure could grow a stockpile of donor-matched arteries, says Laura Niklason from Duke University Medical Center, Durham in North Carolina. So far her team has harvested four arteries, each 8 centimetres long and 3 millimetres across.
First they encourage ordinary human muscle cells to multiply. Then they add a gene called hTERT to make them live longer. Next they seed the cells on a hose-shaped scaffold of biodegradable polymer. After 2 months, the support dissolves leaving a "dense, muscular, tubular structure," says Niklason. Lining cells are then dropped inside to complete the artificial artery.
"We need to determine whether such vessels are safe [before they are transplanted]," says Asif Ahmed who works on veins and arteries at the UK's University of Birmingham. 90% of human tumours contain hTERT. Although the gene doesn't cause cancer by itself, it might encourage cells to continue to grow inside a vessel and block it, he cautions.
Can they withstand millions of cycles of the heart pumping?
David Williams
UK Centre for Tissue Engineering
Another step is to test the prototype arteries in the lab to see whether they can "withstand millions of cycles of the heart pumping," advises David Williams, head of the UK Centre for Tissue Engineering at Liverpool University. We need to find out "what it takes to burst them," he says.
If all goes well cardiac patients might not be the only ones to profit. Every year, up to 150,000 US patients have leg bypass surgery as an alternative to amputation and lab-reared arteries could connect kidney patients to dialysis machines.
With donor tissue hard to come by, researchers are racing to create a new generation of synthetic transplant organs including livers, lungs and kidneys. As these become reality, artificial blood vessels will be in demand. After all, "they're all going to need a blood supply," says Niklason.
, just curious,they have grown noses, ears etc , on mice through these researches ..makes one wonder . My husband is cynical..lol he feels that if Im cured than what about all these high maintenance meds,and procedures? Why some drs may have to quit.lol..kind of like the big 3 and eletric cars..he isnt very happy Im so sick.
