BREAKING NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION'S 2005 SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS

摘要

Biologically engineered blood vessels grown from a person's own cells could provide a safe, effective option for people who do not have suitable veins or arteries available for use in heart bypass surgery. Using a technique called sheet-based tissue engineering, scientists can manipulate human tissue in the laboratory to produce the necessary structure. The blood vessel is then grafted in place to reroute blood flow around the blockage so the heart can receive nutrients and oxygen. To grow the substitute blood vessel, researchers gathered two different types of cells from the back of the patient's hand, one from the skin and the other from the inner lining of a vein. Skin cells are used for the backbone of the engineered structure and cells from the vein provide the lining. The cells were placed in a culture dish where they received nutrients necessary for growth. After six to eight weeks they formed a sheet that could be fashioned into a blood vessel.