Norman, Okla. — New blood vessels can be grown from adipose-derived stem cells obtained via liposuction, according to researchers at the American Heart Association’s 2012 Scientific Sessions.
The cells, harvested through liposuction, were seeded onto a bioscaffold, and eventually rolled into tubes by researchers, PR Newswire reports. In a matter of weeks the tissue grew into usable blood vessels, which can be used in complex procedures, such as heart bypass surgery. Because they are made from autologous cells, there is no risk of rejection or adverse reaction.
A potential problem is that the cells take time to grow.
“They would not be available immediately, but you could bank your own cells and keep them until the time comes that you need them,” PR Newswire quotes Roberto Bolli, M.D., chief of cardiology at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, as saying.
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