Sugar scaffold for blood vessels
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July 2, 2012 |
I’m filled with hope when I hear about medical breakthroughs, and this one is pretty sweet…
Researchers are now using moulds made from sugar to create a network for blood vessels in artificially grown tissue.
To make artificial blood vessels, scientists take cells from a patient and spread them over a mould. When the blood vessels develop, toxic solvents are needed to dissolve the mould away. The new mould is made of ‘sugar glass’, similar to the sugar in lollipops, which is totally non-toxic.
Growing organs is a long way off, but this research will help.
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Sugar moulds easily, is non-toxic and will dissolve naturally when surrounded by moist cells.
Image: Flickr/Shenamt
