The researchers will start by trying to culture patches of heart muscle tissue that could be grafted onto damaged hearts to help them work better. Next, the researchers will attempt a full ventricle. Eventually, researchers hope their work will enable scientists to grow a fully functional human heart.
Physicians now have no way to repair damaged heart tissue.
Coronary bypasses and angioplasties just improve the plumbing. The goal of the Seattle-based project is to come up with replacement parts. We'll use a patient's own cells to prevent them from ever needing a heart transplant. The scaffolding material will be seeded with cardiac cells and placed in a bioreactor, which providers proper temperature and nutrients for cell growth. Scientists know how to grow cells.