Heart Valve Grown From Stem Cells

Although not yet applicable to man, things are getting closer.

-Wes

10:00 AM Addendum: It seems growing heart valve cells derived from bone marrow progenitor cells on collegen matrix is being called a "heart valve."

The scientists first coaxed stem cells extracted from bone marrow to grow into heart valve cells by using chemical and physical nudges.

Then, by placing these cells into scaffolds made of collagen, they grew small 3cm wide discs of heart valve tissue.

Later this year the tissue will be implanted into animals - probably sheep or pigs - and monitored to see how well it works as part of a circulatory system.

I'm becoming a bit more skeptical for many of the reasons others have pointed out on a earlier post about growing vascularized heart cells by researchers in Israel.