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08
Dec 2020
Man-made implant that could transform treatment for heart disease
An ‘electronic’ man-made blood vessel that replaces diseased arteries could transform the treatment of heart disease.
The implant, which is about the width of a straw and made of plastic mesh, is filled with cells capable to growing into healthy endothelial tissue, which makes up blood vessels throughout the body.
Prior to being surgically implanted to replace a section of diseased blood vessel, the implant is zapped with a mild electric current, the metal content acts as a conductor, allowing the current to pass through the device. The current stimulates the stem cells inside the implant to grow and spread, eventually forming healthy new blood vessel tissue around the implant.
Heart disease develops when blood vessels become clogged by deposits, known as plaques. Around 14,000 in the UK undergo coronary artery bypass surgery each year, where blockages in arteries to the heart are bypassed, commonly with a vein harvested from another part of the body.
However, around a third of patients do not have a suitable vein for grafting, often due to the veins being too unstable as a result of ageing or disease.
Recently, scientists have developed synthetic arteries that are seeded with stem cells (cells that can grow into different types of tissue) on to some type of scaffolding material.
Results of tests published in the science journal Matters showed that when the new implant was zapped with electric currents, the number of stem cells more than doubled over the following two weeks, compared to when the cells were left to grow on their own.
Martin Cowie, professor of cardiology at Imperial College London, said “This kind of ‘intelligent’ tissue bioengineering is showing new ways to improve blood supply in heart conditions. It is a very interesting development but early days. A lot more research is needed.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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