Friday, July 18, 2008

Researchers grow human blood vessels in mice from adult progenitor cells

Source: American Heart Association
Date: July 18, 2008

Summary:

For the first time, researchers have successfully grown functional human blood vessels in mice using cells from adult human blood and bone marrow donors — an important step in developing clinical strategies to grow tissue, researchers report in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association. This research could eventually lead to treatments for heart attack, acute injuries, wound healing and may facilitate growing new organs. The research could also enhance tissue engineering — growing new organs for later implantation into patients, another medical research field that needs good sources of microvascularization to develop.