Researchers Induce Blood Vessel Growth in Artificial Tissues

Researchers from Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine grew a system of and capillaries on a nontoxic plastic matrix. They were able to control where cells grew in their plastic gel.

Before now, inducing angiogenesis in artificial tissues has entailed driving nails through electrically charged blocks, and using the network of created tubes as the scaffolding for blood vessels or nerve cells.  In addition, full assembly of vessels is possible, though the process is apparently very slow.

With this breakthrough, the idea of growing tissues thicker than a few hundred microns has become feasible because blood vessels can deliver the necessary supply of nutrients to the tissues.  In the long term, tissue structures with a native blood supply introduced could one day result in new lab-grown tissue implants.

The new method involved polyethylene glycol, or PEG, a common ingredient in many consumer products like laxatives, toothpaste, and printer ink.  Modifying PEG to resemble the body’s extracellular matrix, the protein-sugar scaffold that makes up most tissue, the combined this with a culture of human umbilical cells and added growth factors derived from platelets to would help promote blood vessel formation.

Then, the team exposed their PEG to UV light, modifying it into a hydrogel, and then seeded it with the cells.  When they injected a fluorescent dye to observe the results, their platelet plastic grow a series of tubules.

I found this article interesting because I am fascinated by the idea of growing artificial organs and futuristic "miracle medicine."  The fact that the mechanisms of a system as complex as the human body is slowly being unlocked by modern research makes me excited for a future where man can cure the vast majority of diseases and impairments.  A future where medicine can restore people's health in an otherwise hopeless situation is one that I am eager to contribute toward.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-01/tissue-engineering-breakthrough-lab-grown-tissue-can-grow-its-own-blood-vessels

[If you click the link, you can view a video of the vessels forming.]