May 8th, 2004
Scaffolding For Heart Regeneration
Biodegradable scaffolds have featured prominently in recent work on tissue regeneration. Here, the Jerusalem Post reports that Israeli scientists are making progress in using scaffolds and injected cells to regrow heart tissue damaged by heart attacks. They ran a trial on pigs to demonstrate effectiveness, and "the 10 who suffered from congestive heart failure and were treated are all doing well, while there was a 40 percent mortality rate among the 10 pigs who were not treated." The researchers are now working towards human trials - probably in the US - and expanding their technique to other organs, such as the liver.