Microscopic polymer fibres that rebuild human tissue and mend hearts

15-Jun-10

Researchers are creating microscopic polymer fibres helpful in rebuilding human tissue and mending hearts. Brian Amsden, chemical engineering professor at the Queen's University and fellow workers from the universities of Western Ontario and Toronto, are making attempts to create the technique in which stem cells from fat are put on a polymer prosthetic, which actuates the growth of cell growth and that is later implanted into an individual's body. Prof. Amsden said, "The only thing that isn't you is the polymer which is biodegradable and eventually disappears, so all you have left is your own tissues." He believes that by the next 10 years, his novel procedure will help a tendon, spinal cord or heart valve regenerate itself after an injury or disease.