Heart valves grown from womb fluid cells

[Phreak101]

Maybe a chance to stop debating the issue??



Heart valves grown from womb fluid cells By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer
1 hour, 40 minutes ago



Scientists for the first time have grown human heart valves using stem cells from the fluid that cushions babies in the womb — offering a revolutionary approach that may be used to repair defective hearts in the future.

The idea is to create these new valves in the lab while the pregnancy progresses and have them ready to implant in a baby with heart defects after it is born.

The Swiss experiment follows recent successes at growing bladders and blood vessels and suggests that people may one day be able to grow their own replacement heart parts — in some cases, even before they're even born.

It's one of several sci-fi tissue engineering advances that could lead to homegrown heart valves for infants and adults that are more durable and effective than artificial or cadaver valves.

"This may open a whole new therapy concept to the treatment of congenital heart defects," said Dr. Simon Hoerstrup, a University of Zurich scientist who led the work, which was presented Wednesday at an American Heart Association conference.

Also at the meeting, Japanese researchers said they had grown new heart valves in rabbits using cells from the animals' own tissue. It's the first time replacement heart valves have been created in this manner, said lead author Dr. Kyoko Hayashida.

"It's very promising," University of Chicago cardiologist Dr. Ziyad Hijazi

[Kärnfysikern]

Awsome Gonna be a nice future when we can grow organs.

But I dont think it gives much support for embryonic steem cell research. Sounds like the steem cells used here are a bit different

[Phreak101]

Awsome Gonna be a nice future when we can grow organs.

But I dont think it gives much support for embryonic steem cell research. Sounds like the steem cells used here are a bit different

That's the whole point, if you can use uteral stem cells instead of embryonic, we won't need embryos. Fingers crossed!

[Kärnfysikern]

That's the whole point, if you can use uteral stem cells instead of embryonic, we won't need embryos. Fingers crossed!

that would indeed be a excelent thing.