popowich
Monday, January 14th, 2008, 10:33 AM
"Minnesota researchers have created a beating heart in the laboratory (http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/researchers-create-beating-heart-lab-15218.html). In a process called whole organ decellularization, they grew functioning heart tissue by using dead rat and pig hearts as a sort of flesh matrix, and reseeding them with a mixture of live cells. The goal is to grow replacement parts, using their own stem cells, for people born with defective tickers or experiencing heart failure."