Spinach leaves have grown human heart muscle cells

Purification of the leaf base cellulose from plant cells and tissues

For certain heart surgeries, physicians require living tissue of the heart muscle. Getting it is not so easy. There are two ways out - either to find a donor, or to grow the muscle tissue of the heart muscle on your own. This process is very difficult and expensive. As a result, the living tissue of the heart is always in short supply. To solve the problem, as it turned out, you can with the help of spinach leaves.

Scientists from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute have proposed using the cellulose matrix of the leaf as the basis for growing tissue, the cells of which are supplied with oxygen and nutrients. To do this, use the capillaries of the leaves themselves, through which they pass a liquid similar in composition to the blood. Thus, scientists can grow quite large areas of living tissue, which is immediately ready for transplantation.


The vessels in the tissues of the heart of the mouse and the capillaries of the buddley leaves of David
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The project was attended by experts from different fields. Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the State University of Arkansas joined the Worcester Polytechnic Institute team to implement the idea. The results of the work of scientists outlined in an article published on the web .

This study is interesting in that plants and animals have radically different systems for transporting nutrients, fluids, and macromolecules. True, there are several similarities in the principles of the cardiovascular system of animals and the capillary system of plants. Thanks to this, the project of scientists became possible. "The use of cell-free plant scaffolds opens up opportunities for research at the junction of various scientific fields to study the similarity of plants and animals," scientists say in their work.



In a series of experiments, scientists have grown living cells of human heart tissue on spinach leaves, from which cells have been removed. Through the capillaries of the leaf cage, a liquid similar in characteristics to human blood was passed through. Cells of the cardiac tissue were located along the capillaries with circulating physiological fluid, supplying the cells with nutrients and oxygen. As a result, the cells not only did not die, but continued to develop. According to the authors of the study, this opens up the possibility of growing whole layers of muscular tissue of the heart. Such samples can be used for heart surgery in people affected by heart attack.


Now scientists are planning to conduct similar experiments with the leaves of other plants. “We still have a lot of work to do, although these results are very promising,” says Glenn Goudette, professor of biomedical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. From the start of the project, it was decided to involve specialists from other fields of science and medicine to participate in it. So, the team now includes a specialist in molecular mechanisms for the growth and development of human cells, a specialist in biomedical engineering, a specialist in stem and plant cells. “In this project, the importance of interdisciplinary research has become clear to us. When you have people with different experiences and knowledge, they can offer a solution to the problem, looking at the problem itself from a slightly different perspective, ”says Gaudette.



The graduate student Joshua Gershlak took part in a series of experiments and suggested using spinach leaves. The central vein of the leaf seemed to him like the aorta, so it was personal impression that played an important role.

In order for a leaf of a plant to be used for growing cells of animal and human tissues, it must be deprived of its native cells and all components except cellulose. Cellulose base and became the basis for cell growth. “Cellulose is biocompatible and is used in many areas of regenerative medicine, including the treatment of severe damage to tissues and bones,” the study participants say.



In addition to spinach, scientists cleared cells and leaves of parsley, annual wormwood and peanut roots. But the best results showed all the same spinach. Its leaves are large, durable, remaining after cleansing the useful area of ​​the cellulose base is sufficient for growing fabrics.