Sarvazyan’s study suggests that stem cells could be used to create a mini heart that can then be wrapped around a vein.
The study shows that not only will this help with the flow of blood but it will also prevent veins with faulty valves from becoming distended. Scientists can already create these mini beating harts for patients by transforming their own adult stem cells into cardiac cells. During Sarvazyan’s research, scientists created these cuffs of rhythmically-contracting heart tissue under laboratory conditions.
The cuffs were also tested and now everybody looks forward for animal trials to see how these mini-hearts are actually grown on the vein inside a living body.
“We are suggesting, for the first time, to use stem cells to create, rather than just repair damaged organs.. We can make a new heart outside of one’s own heart, and by placing it in the lower extremities, significantly improve venous blood flow.”, Narine Sarvazyan said.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation is also conducting a study on a different approach to treat chronic venous insufficiency. The approach used by the German scientists is different as they plan to create artificial venous valves which are meant to replace natural ones that are considered defective.
