Heart Cells Beating

Scientists at the Bernard O’Brien Institute of Microsurgery in Melbourne have converted stem cells from human fat tissue into beating heart cells.

“First, the scientists took human fat tissue gathered during liposuction surgery. Then they isolated stem cells from the fat and treated them with a mixture of agents to encourage them to grow into heart cells. Scientists had known for some time that fat tissue contained stem cells with the capacity to grow into various body cells.

“The scientists then used DNA-based tests to establish that the cells appeared to be changing into heart cells. Further tests confirmed the cells contained specific cardiac proteins found in human heart cells.

“The big breakthrough came this year when the scientists grew the human cells together with rat heart cells and they observed - and filmed - the unique characteristic of heart muscle cells: the stem cells were beating.

“The scientists are unsure what triggered the cells to start beating. They speculate that the rat cells may have transmitted signals to the human cells to start beating.”

For the rest of the article, and to see a video of the new cells as they begin to beat, click here.