TONIGHT'S HEALTH WATCH, A
POTENTIAL BREAKTHROUGH IN MAKING
ORGANS IN A LAB.
ISRAELI RESEARCHERS HAVE
PRINTED A 3D HEART COMPLETE WITH
MUSCLE AND BLOOD VESSELS.
OUR
CBS 2 DOCTOR IS HERE.
HOW LONG
BEFORE THIS IS READY TO BE USED
IN.
IT'S MUCH MORE COMPLICATED
THAN SQUIRTING THINGS IN THE
HEART OR A KEY IN.
RESEARCHERS
AT TELL AVIV HAVE TAKEN A
DIFFERENT APPROACH AT ORGANS.
Reporter: A 3D PRINTS
INCLUDES HEART CELLS AND BLOOD
VESSELS AND OTHER SUPPORTING
STRUCTURES.
IT'S THE SMALL HEART
ABOUT THE SIZE OF A RABBIT
HEART.
NOT ONLY ARE THE CELLS
ALIVE, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT
CELLS CAME FROM A SINGLE HUMAN
DONOR.
YOU CAN GROW THESE CELLS FROM
THE PATIENT.
YOU'RE ABLE TO DO
THAT AND THOSE CELLS DO NOT
CAUSE REJECTION.
Reporter: THE WAKE FOREST
INSTITUTE FOR REGENITIVE
MEDICINE IS A PIONEER IN 3D
ORGANS AND TISSUES.
HE EXPLAINED
THE CELLS CAME FROM A DONOR'S
HEART ISSUE AND DIFFERENT
EIGHTED INTO VARIOUS CELLS OF
THE HEART AND WHILE IT LOOKS
LIKE A HEART STRICTLY, IT'S NOT
YET FUNCTIONAL.
IT DOESN'T PUMP.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE
ABLE TO BE HOOKED UP AND SO THEY
CAN CONTRACT LIKE THEY'RE
SUPPOSED TO IN A NORMAL PATIENT.
Reporter: THE FIRST PRINTED
ORGANS FOR HUMAN USE WILL BE
SIMPLER, BLADDERS, EARS, BLOOD
VESSELS AND WIND PIPES, SOME OF
WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN
IMPLANTED.
THEY NEED TO MAKE A
CARDIAC PATCH, A PIECE OF
FUNCTIONING HEART TISSUE TO
REPAIR HEART ATTACK DAMAGE.
THAT HEART PATCH WHICH HAS AN
E NATE ABILITY TO CONTRACT CAN
CONTRACT RATHER THAN BUILDING AN
ENTIRE HEART.
ATRIA AND
VENTRICLES HAVE TO PUMP IN A
PRECISE SEQUENCE TO PUMP.
EVENTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO GET
THERE.
