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Scientists Use Human Cells to Grow Blood Vessels in Mice

Posted on: Saturday, 19 July 2008, 19:00 CDT

Scientists at Harvard University have successfully used human cells to grow new blood vessels in mice. 

The researchers said the work might ultimately assist patients who suffer heart attacks.

In a BBC News report, one British expert called the research “promising”, and said the technique might one day be used to create lab-grown organs that could be used for implants. 

Indeed, the ability to rapidly develop a new network of tiny blood vessels would be a huge advancement for scientists.  There are dozens of potential medical applications for the new technique, especially for treating conditions involving damage to a tissue’s blood supply, such as that occurring when heart muscle is damaged after a heart attack.

In the latest study, researchers used two types of "progenitor" cells, obtained from blood and bone marrow, which have the ability to form different types of cells. The first, "endothelial" progenitor cells, have the ability to form the cells which line blood vessels, while the second, "mesenchymal" progenitor cells, can form the cells adjacent to this lining that provide structural support.

Unlike more controversial stem cell therapies that often use cells obtained from an embryo, these progenitor cells are harvested from adult blood or bone marrow or from an umbilical cord.

During the research, the progenitor cells were combined together in growth-promoting chemicals in the laboratory, then implanted into mice whose immune systems had been weakened to avoid rejection of the new cells.

Within seven days, the researchers observed that a "vigorous network" of new vessels had formed, joining up with the mice’s blood vessels to begin circulating blood.

"What's really significant about our study is that we are using human cells that can be obtained from blood or bone marrow rather than removing and using fully developed blood vessels," lead researcher Dr Joyce Bischoff told BBC News.

Dr. Nick Rhodes from Britain’s Centre for Tissue Engineering at the University of Liverpool called the results "interesting and promising".

"It could certainly assist in the connection of other engineered organs to the body's blood supply,” he told BBC News.

"Although this approach is not yet suitable for clinical use, it is interesting that they have demonstrated you have all the elements you need to create a functional network of capillaries from a small amount of blood."

A report about the study was published in the journal Circulation Research. An abstract can be viewed at http://circres.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/2/194.

Source: redOrbit staff and wire reports

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