Development of Mini Heart: Scientific Breakthrough

Development of Mini Heart: Scientific Breakthrough

Question: Scientists from the US University of California have recently developed a mini heart on a microchip using human stem cells. Discuss the value of this scientific breakthrough.

Scientists from the University of California in the US conducted research leading to the development of Cardiac Microphysiological System

- This mini heart has been created on a microchip using human stem cells

- Study was led by Indian origin scientist Dr. Anurag Mathur

- Cardiac Microphysiologucal System that is the width of a human hair will replace non human animal models used in drug discovery as well as development processes

About The Cardiac Microphysiological System

- Microphysiological systems are essentially organs which have been engineered to address considerable pharmacological and physiological divide between monolayer cell cultures, animal models and humans

- The Cardiac Microphysiological System is the latest in a series of human organs such as lung, liver and intestine which were developed in lab environment

- The Mini-Heart was developed through the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells forming different types of tissues

- Cells once able to form heart tissues were grown around special silicon microchip with cells and media channels that follow the actual action of blood vessels of the human heart

- This scientific breakthrough has replaced animal models through a drug discovery process that does not follow human responses

- Organ on chip will spur the development of personalised medicine as doctors will be able to make predictions about certain drugs and how they react on specific patients

- This can cut down on treatment and recovery time and also aid in the prevention of diseases

- Doctors will be able to assess the approximate dose required for patients with heart conditions through the deployment of bionic heart technology as the heart will be modelled in a lab following tests

Facts and Stats

- Scientists will be able to make the heart work and beat for months by feeding it a mix of nutrients to keep it alive

- This bionic heart is a breakthrough in science because it can be used to predict the impact of drugs on the human heart

- The bionic heart began beating only within a day after being developed

- It attained the speed of 50 to 80 beats per minute