Electronic Precinct - October 1998

6 billion project to grow human heart

Pro-Vice-Chancellor David Williams, Professor of Clinical Engineering, is a member of a group of scientists from Britain, America, Canada and Switzerland, who plan to create a human heart outside the body. Professor Williams, who is an acknowledged world leader in developing artificial heart valves, said: `Five years ago this would have been unthinkable, but the progress that has been made in labs around the world means that this is no longer a dream.'

If the project is successful, it could end the acute shortage of donor hearts. One of the failings of current transplants is that patients must take immuno-suppressant drugs for the rest of their lives to prevent organ rejection. The new techniques of growing heart tissue taken from the potential r ecipient would overcome this problem. `It is one of the most important scientific investigations of our time' said Professor Williams. `We are moving from being able to produce little bits of skin and cartilage to whole functioning organs.'

The team, which includes scientists who are pioneers in the growth of human skin, cartilage, muscle and bone in the laboratory, will have initial funding from trusts and industry, but the world-wide project, Living Implants From Engineering (LIFE), aims to raise £6 billion to support the work.