Freeze-dried valves may fix broken hearts

• Autores: Jessica Hamzelou
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 3160, 2018, pág. 8
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Pieces of heart tissue can be freeze-dried and later rehydrated when needed for transplantation. The technique could allow donated human tissue to be stored for years, enabling doctors to choose transplants "off the shelf". Around 250,000 heart valve surgeries are performed every year. These involve repairing or replacing one or more of the four valves that help pump blood through the heart. The replacements are either mechanical, donated from cadavers or sourced from pigs or cows. These can't grow with their recipients. Animal or donor valves also can't be stored for very long before transplant