Heart valve grown from stem cells

[ClickerTicker]

The BBC have been mentioning this today. It's early days with this technique, test implants on animals planned this year, but could be the start of something amazing!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6517645.stm

 

[Phyllis]

That is amazing and hopeful- thanks for posting it!

 

[StretchL]

Thanks for this post. I'd wondered what Dr. Yacoub was doing these days. Not surprising that he's (still) way out in front of everyone else...

 

[Curtsmum]

Just seen it on the news tonight. They were saying it could be between 3 and 5 years.sounds very interesting, althow i dont think i would want my child to be one of the first.

 

[Karlynn]

Very interesting. While all the political hubbubb revolves around fetal stem cells, we don't hear a lot about what science is doing with our own stem cells. This is the area that seems to hold the most promise. This article is very encouraging.

 

[starfish11040]

Very interesting. While all the political hubbubb revolves around fetal stem cells, we don't hear a lot about what science is doing with our own stem cells. This is the area that seems to hold the most promise. This article is very encouraging.

Karlynn,
I don't want to get into a debate, but I can't let that statement go unchallenged. The GREAT PREPONDERANCE of scientific opinion holds that the most promise lies in the stem cell type that is the most malleable and the one that that is believed to have the most potential to be coaxed into evolving into other organs. And that is embryonic stem cells.

 

[Andyrdj]

Interesting....

Interesting....

The key to making a really successful valve lies not just in growing a group of cells in a valve shape (as has been done before with non stem cell tissue engineering) but having all the differentiated blood vessels within it to supply the valve tissue itself with oxygen (as opposed to relying on diffusion of oxygen from cell to cell)

I would like more detailed information as to precisely what's been done here, but it seems as if the area of heart tissue engineering has just had a boost.

 

[RCB]

good old BBC is reporting on embryonic stem cells successfully being used to restore sight to the blind ...(Heart Talk)!

Check the source- it is more likely ASC (Adult Stem Cells) than ESC (Embryonic Stem Cells). The media has done a horrible job in reporting on this subject. There is no debate that there are many successful ASC clinical treatments and no ESC treatments. ESCs have only succeeded in producing cysts in mice and rejection by their hosts. I leave it to others to debate the meanings of "GREAT PREPONDERANCE", "promise", "most potential" and "is".