(JP) RAT experiment gives hope to the weak-hearted

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http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20020411a2.htm

 

Rat experiment gives hope to the weak-hearted

 

OSAKA -- In what is reportedly a world's first, a

group of Japanese scientists said Wednesday they have

developed rat cardiac muscle that can strengthen rats'

hearts when transplanted.

 

The muscle, which was created in sheets, can beat

automatically outside the body, and is derived from

the heart-muscle cells of newborn rats.

 

The group, led by Teruo Okano, a professor of

regenerative medicine at Tokyo Women's Medical

University, and Yoshiki Sawa, a cardiovascular surgeon

at Osaka University, successfully cultivated newborn

rats' cells to form a sheet of cardiac muscle.

 

They used the sheet to strengthen the functions of the

rat's heart, which had suffered cardiac muscle cell

degeneration.

 

Okano said the development will pave the way for

enhanced treatment of heart diseases.

 

The scientists said they hope to develop a cardiac

muscle sheet from human stem cells in bone marrow or

embryonic stem cells, which are believed to be capable

of developing into nerves, liver tissue, heart muscle

or any other tissue.

 

The results of the study are to be reported at an

general meeting April 18 and 19 of the Japanese

Society of Regenerative Medicine in Kyoto.

 

Okano, Sawa and others grew the rat cardiac muscle

cells to form a 1 cm × 1 cm sheet 0.05 mm thick.

 

After confirming that the muscle could beat by itself,

they combined four such sheets. The beat rhythm of

each was different at first, but they later

synchronized, the scientists said. The organism

continued to beat for several days before the

scientists forced it to stop for further examination.

 

After the sheet was transplanted into the rat's weak

heart, the strength of its beats grew by up to 40

percent, they said.

 

The group said veins to infuse the cardiac muscles

with blood must be developed for practical application

of the technique.

 

" Our achievement has proved that a weakened heart

function can be improved through the use of cultured

cardiac muscle sheets, " Okano said. " The technique has

a wide range of potential, to be applied in the

treatment of heart diseases in the near future.

 

" However, " he added, " prior to the practical

application, infrastructural development at medical

institutions should be made so that the culture of

cardiac muscle sheets and the transplant operations

can be done at the same medical facility. "

 

The Japan Times: April 11, 2002

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