‘Mini-hearts’ that beat made from patients’ own cells

RESEARCHERS at the Kolling Institute of Medical Research are engineering "mini-hearts" as part of a world-first trial focused on reducing the toxic side effects of drugs that can cause heart failure. SUBSCRIBE TO FIND OUT MORE.

Scientists at the Kolling Institute of Medical Research located at Royal North Shore Hospital are using a 3D "bioprinter" to create heart tissues which could revolutionise the way patients are given new drugs and eventually be transplanted into damaged human hearts.

Lead scientist Dr Carmine Gentile said some paediatric patients who survive cancer treatment may experience heart failure up to 17 years later because chemotherapy drugs can be toxic on their heart.

"During heart failure what happens is the heart is contracting less and less until eventually it would stop," said Dr Gentile.

"So in this way we're able to identify whether the drug will slow down the heart or make it beat irregularly using the cells from the patient."

The mini-hearts are created using either blood or skin from the patient, which researchers then use to make stem cells and finally heart cells.

These heart cells are then used as "bio-ink" in the 3D bioprinter, which prints the mini-hearts.

Dr Gentile and his research team are observing how they interact with a number of drugs - or "cardiotoxic" agents - in a test tube to predict damaging effects on the heart and it could be available to patients within five years.

"The doctor may choose to give an alternative, safer medication to their patients," he said.

It comes after Israeli researchers created an entire 3D-printed heart made from human cells.