Scientists Grow Full-Sized, Beating Human Hearts From Stem Cells

Scientists Grow Full-Sized, Beating Human Hearts From Stem Cells

Of the 4,000 Americans waiting for heart transplants, only 2,500 will receive new hearts in the next year. Even for those lucky enough to get a transplant, the biggest risk is the their bodies will reject the new heart and launch a massive immune reaction against the foreign cells. To combat the problems of organ shortage and decrease the chance that a patient’s body will reject it, researchers have been working to create synthetic organs from patients’ own cells. Now a team of scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School has gotten one step closer, using adult skin cells to regenerate functional human heart tissue, according to a study published recently in the journal Circulation Research.

Ideally, scientists would be able to grow working hearts from patients’ own tissues, but they’re not quite there yet. That’s because organs have a particular architecture. It's easier to grow them in the lab if they have a scaffolding on which the cells can build, like building a house with the frame already constructed.

A couple years back I posted on how they created the first lung from cells, now, we have the heart. Seems they are moving along just fine. This is far more complicated than the level they were at a few years back of growing replacement noses and ears on the backs of mice.

Heart, Lungs, Liver and Kidneys should be the focus, then eyes and the inner workings of the ear. The big dog will be spinal cord/damaged regeneration.

a reply to: SLAYER69

This could save lives. The wait time for such organs is ludicrous (and for obvious reasons).

S&F

a reply to: SLAYER69

Holy Mother of myocardium !!!!!!!!!!!! THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING ! ! ! !!

Great find Slayer!!!! What next, I wonder? Imagine being able to grow your own heart for a later transplant when your OEM is old and worn out!!!

a reply to: ReadLeader

Yes, Immortality at last! Now we can replace a worn heart with a new heart! Or a worn lung with a new lung!

Or a worn brain with a new brain!... wait, I just realised that this is a bad idea.

We've had the lungs, we now have a heart, next stop the brain.

Artificial intelligence using computers? They'll soon be able to create it from artificial human parts.

Glad I won't be around to see it.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Mate, growing yourself a new brain would be utterly useless - the new brain would have zero memories, zero self identity, zero knowledge. It'd be as useful as a blank drive.

I just made a joke about it in my second post.

Had another thread that talked about using 3D printers to construct the organs. They have already successfully replicated a single strands of DNA. Like any other printer, the precision will come in time.

3D printed organs

a reply to: swanne

somehow I feel like this was supposed to happen, being resourceful, using the most out of what we've got...we (humans as a whole) are on the right track with this.

One thing that bothers me, and I couldn't even do it, is that we throw away our placentas after birth. I looked at mine, took pictures as my doctor grossed out. Humans are one of the very few mammal who DONT eat their placenta.

originally posted by: swanne
a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Mate, growing yourself a new brain would be utterly useless - the new brain would have zero memories, zero self identity, zero knowledge. It'd be as useful as a blank drive.

I just made a joke about it in my second post.

Not if they found a way to implant those memories using a micro chip. Of course it wouldn't be all human then, more cyborg like.

I watched Horizon here on the BBC a few nights ago, scientists are doing wonders with the brain, using chips and in one case electrodes. To be honest it was all pretty scary stuff and all in the name of arificial intelligence.

If you can access the BBC I-player, then I would recommend you watch it.

As I said, it won't be in my lifetime, because studies are at the earliest of stages. But if Man is able to progress in science and medicine, then who knows?

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Nice save

a reply to: swanne

Ha ha, cheers.

But it was saved with sincerity.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Hehe, quite true.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

If you liked that, watch the documentary Transcendent Man. Do so with a grain of salt though.

Great news....

Now if they can grow some brains...I know plenty of people that could do with a replacement.

Title is misleading...

After those two weeks, the hearts contained well-structured tissue that looked similar to immature hearts; when the researchers gave the hearts a shock of electricity, they started beating.

While this isn’t the first time heart tissue has been grown in the lab, it’s the closest researchers have come to their end goal: Growing an entire working human heart. But the researchers admit that they’re not quite ready to do that.

originally posted by: CriticalStinker
a reply to: Cobaltic1978

If you liked that, watch the documentary Transcendent Man. Do so with a grain of salt though.

I will when I have the time.

As long as there is lemon and tequila to go along with that salt, then of course I will.

a reply to: SLAYER69

This is what I have been hoping against hope for! To be able to do this for everything from congenital heart defects in utero to child and adult heart transplant...It is too early in the game to help us, but dang, maybe for the next time...

Thanks Slayer. I spoke recently with a cardiologist who thought it would be about 50 years out before the tech was usable for transplant, which I understand, but I hope he was wrong...

- AB

wow imagine.....legal cannibalism!





j/k

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Haha very nice. Definitely an interesting watch though. Focuses on the ideas of Ray Kurzweil, a very prominent progressive tech guru who has his own school for forward tech individuals. Spells out a lot of future tech in a very understandable format.

Placenta.........MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM !