Biomedical Engineers Grow Tiny Beating Heart Ventricle in a Lab

In an exciting development for the research and prevention of cardiovascular disease, scientists at the University of Toronto (U of T) and the University of Montreal have reverse-engineered a tiny working model of a human heart ventricle — and it even beats and pumps fluid. The 1-millimeter vessel opens up a wider range of study opportunities and a more accurate, ethical alternative to currently available approaches, offering measurements that were next to impossible to obtain from previous models. “Until now, there have only been a handful of attempts to create a truly 3D model of a ventricle, as opposed to flat sheets of heart tissue,” senior author of the study Milica Radisic, a chemist from U of T, said in a news release. “With these models, we can study not only cell function, but tissue function and organ function, all without the need for invasive surgery or animal experimentation,” she added. The minuscule organ was grown in a lab using a mix of synthetic and biological materials. To set it beating, the team administered a series of electric shocks. Researchers are hopeful that the small working model may be the first step in creating a fully-functional and transplantable human heart in the future.

How They Did It