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Bioengineered individuals (biohybrids) capable of mobility are evolving from human heart cells, a project spearheaded by scientists at Harvard University. These artificial individuals mimic the blood-pumping process of the heart and are seen as a potential research avenue to support heart disease treatment.This research endeavor is spearheaded by a group of scientists including Keel Yong Lee from Harvard and Sung-Jin Park from Emory University and Georgia Tech. They unveiled this biological fish species in the Science journal on February 10th. A 20-second close-up video clip of the fish and its swimming motion was also shared on Twitter.
This fish is entirely unconscious, with 100% of its body being artificial. Its shape and movement are inspired by seahorses. It is composed of paper, plastic, gelatin, and two strips of living human heart muscle cells. One strip runs along the left side, while the other runs along the right side of the body. When cells on one side contract, those on the other side expand, creating a smooth tension that propels the fish forward.According to Dr. Keel Yong Lee, the fish's movement resembles that of a pacemaker. It autonomously adjusts the frequency and rhythm of contractions. 'By utilizing the electrical signal - muscle between two layers of muscle, we have reproduced a cycle where each contraction automatically leads to a stretching reaction on the opposite side,' he said. This capability will help developers create more sophisticated artificial pumping machines, while also providing a platform for researching rhythm disorders.
Researcher Sung-Jin Park stated that the group's project is a potential alternative to electronic pacemakers. However, the ultimate goal of the researchers is to create an artificial heart to replace defective hearts in children. 'Instead of using images of the heart as design schematics, we identified the important physical - biological principles that help the heart function, took them as design standards, and then reproduced them in a special system - an artificial swimming fish,' Park said.With the aid of supplemented nutrients and glucose-rich saline solution, the fish swam for over three months. Each heart cell was continuously rebuilt to maintain health on a 20-day cycle. This biohybrid fish has swum for over 100 days, rebuilding its cells approximately 5 times according to the formula. Notably, akin to muscles in the body improving with exercise, this fish swims stronger and faster over time.Source: Guardian
