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news.discovery.com 2015 01682.txt.txt

#Miniature, Beating Hearts Grown Using Stem Cells Structures resembling miniature, beating hearts can now be grown in a lab using stem cells. Dr. Bruce Conklin, a stem cell biologist at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular disease in San francisco, along with colleagues developed these tiny hearts using stem cells derived from skin tissue. The scientists allowed the cells to grow in a petri dish, adding a chemical layer containing slight physical and chemical differences, thanks to tiny etchings made with oxygen plasma. Because of these slight differences, the stem cells developed into different types of cardiac tissue cells similar to the process that takes place in the human body. By the 20th day of the trial, the cells actually formed heart icrochambersthat were beating slowly. This fascinating milestone can help researchers learn more about the way the heart develops in vitro to help prevent defects and can aid in evaluating heart drugs for safety, particularly for pregnant women. The tiny hearts could also serve as models to treat damaged hearts. In addition, the concepts learned from this trial could be used by scientists attempting to grow other types of organs in a lab. A study published in scientific journal Nature Communications shared these findings. Tiny Brain Parts Teased From Stem Cells This isn the first time stem cells have been used to help develop hearts. In the past, researchers used stem cells to create sheets of beating heart muscle in petri dishes. Stem cells have also been used to grow tubes of heart cells resembling tiny pumps. Now, researchers have gotten closer than ever to growing 3-D beating chambers that more closely resemble the human heart n

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