The treatment methods developed for cardiovascular diseases are quite diverse and these methods have become more successful as medical science has progressed. Yet every year, close to 18 million people worldwide die from heart problems.
Scientists have now succeeded in developing a small, heart-beating model of a patency in the human heart. Thanks to this study, an important ground has emerged for new drugs, treatment methods and investigations.
Significant treatment studies paved the way
Scientists from the University of Toronto and the University of Montreal have succeeded in making a millimeter-long vessel replica. Moreover, this vein not only beats as in the heart, but also manages to pump fluid. That is, it makes it possible to simulate the pumping of blood throughout the body. Human embryos have similarly sized vessels.
“Thanks to our model, we can measure the ejection volume, which is the amount of fluid pushed each time the vessel contracts. It was nearly impossible to measure these in previous models,” said biomedical engineer Sargol Okhovatian from the University of Toronto. says.
Under normal circumstances, there are not many alternatives for examining blood vessels. After autopsy, hearts that no longer work are taken from cadavers and examined, or studies on biochemical functions are carried out on tissue cultures. However, in these studies, the hydraulic structure of a three-dimensional and pulsating vein cannot be observed.
Ethical concerns may be left behind
While experiments on animals can be used to see how a living heart will respond to any treatment, ethical debates come into play here too. In the new study, models developed with a 3D organic printer, which have not become a complete organ, open a new window. These studies use a combination of synthetic and biological materials.
The vein the researchers developed is a replica of the vein that leaves the heart’s left chamber and pumps blood to the aorta. The cell, which consists of a three-layered cell structure, makes its natural throwing motion with the help of a special system. Electricity is used for stimulation.
Although the newly developed miniature vessel can pump blood as much as 5 percent of the human heart, it is accepted as an indication that the concept can be successful. A more layered and relatively larger model will pave the way for new studies. The research was published in the journal Advanced Biology.
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